Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 5.9–6.7 in
15–17 cm - Weight
- 0.7–1.1 oz
20–32 g
Other Names
Cool Facts
- The Smith's Longspur is polygynandrous: each female pairs and copulates with two or three males for a single clutch of eggs, at the same time that each male pairs and copulates with two or more females.
- Male Smith's Longspurs are not territorial, but instead compete for fertilizations by copulating with females frequently in order to dilute or displace sperm from other males.
- Over a period of one week in June, a female Smith's Longspur will copulate over 350 times on average; this is one of the highest copulation rates of any bird.
- "Longspur" refers to the elongated claw of the hind toe.
Habitat
Grassland
Breeds on dry, grassy, and hummocky tundra. Winters in fields with short grass, prairies, and grassy margins of airports.
Food
Insects
Seeds and insects.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 1–6 eggs
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Ground Forager
Conservation
Least Concern
Total population unknown and no long-term data available to determine trends in populations.
Credits
- Briskie, J. V. 1993. Smith's Longspur (Calcarius pictus). In The Birds of North America, No. 34 (A. Poole, P. Stettenheim, and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, DC: The American Ornithologists' Union.