Smith's Longspur Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesSmith's Longspur
Breeding male
Medium-sized and sparrowlike with a thin bill. Breeding males have an unstreaked orangish belly and a patterned black-and-white face. Note white outer tail feathers.
© Andrew Spencer / Macaulay LibraryYukon Territory, June 07, 2014Nonbreeding adult/immature
Nonbreeding birds are buffy below with fine streaking down the belly.
© Luke Seitz / Macaulay LibraryMaine, September 25, 2011Breeding male
A small, somewhat plump songbird with a short, notched tail, and a pointed, conical bill. Breeding male is mostly rich caramel with bold black-and-white stripes on the face.
© Eric Liner / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 24, 2007Breeding female
Breeding females have a heavily streaked back often flecked with white. The face is rather plain with a white eyering and thin bill.
© Historical Middleton Island Data / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, August 21, 2012Nonbreeding adult/immature
Nonbreeding birds have two thin white wingbars, though the wingbars are not always visible. Note buffy underparts with fine streaky.
© Justyn Stahl / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, September 23, 2016Nonbreeding adult/immature
Nonbreeding adult and immature have fine brown streaks on buffy underparts and often show a thin white eyering. The tail is black with white outer tail feathers.
© Sam Zhang / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, December 17, 2022Breeding male
Breeding males are mostly rich caramel with bold black-and-white stripes on the face. The back and wings are streaked brown and buff, with a white mark at the shoulder.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 02, 2013Nonbreeding adult/immature
Chunky sparrowlike bird that is buffy overall with a heavily streaked back and finely streaked belly.
© Luke Seitz / Macaulay LibraryMaine, September 25, 2011Nonbreeding adult/immature
In flight, note white upper wing patch.
© Michael Todd / Macaulay LibraryMissouri, December 17, 2020Breeding male
Nests where the boreal forest gives way to scattered dwarf trees and shrubs amid open tundra.
© Josiah Verbrugge / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 18, 2020Similar SpeciesLapland Longspur
Nonbreeding/immature
Nonbreeding/immature Lapland Longspurs have a rusty panel in the wing that nonbreeding/immature Smith's Longspurs lack.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, December 19, 2003Similar SpeciesLapland Longspur
Breeding male
Breeding male Lapland Longspurs have a black throat, whereas breeding male Smith's Longspurs have a tawny throat and belly.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 03, 2013Similar SpeciesThick-billed Longspur
Female
Female Thick-billed Longspurs have a rusty upper wingbar unlike female/nonbreeding Smith's Longspurs, which have 2 white wingbars.
© Andrew Spencer / Macaulay LibraryColorado, April 20, 2012Similar SpeciesThick-billed Longspur
Breeding male
Breeding male Thick-billed Longspurs lack the Smith's Longspurs tawny throat and belly.
© Shawn Billerman / Macaulay LibraryWyoming, April 12, 2014Similar SpeciesChestnut-collared Longspur
nonbreeding
Nonbreeding Chestnut-collared Longspurs are plainer overall, lacking the buffy color of nonbreeding/female Smith's Longspurs.
© Jacob Drucker / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, November 13, 2016Similar SpeciesChestnut-collared Longspur
Breeding male
Breeding male Chestnut-collared Longspurs have a black, not tawny belly like breeding male Smith's Longspurs.
© Gerrit Vyn / Macaulay LibraryAlberta, June 06, 2010Similar SpeciesVesper Sparrow
Adult/immature
Vespers Sparrows have a whiter belly and a distinct eyering that female/nonbreeding Smith's Longspurs lack.
© John Reynolds / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, September 04, 2016Similar SpeciesHorned Lark
Female
Female Horned Larks are slimmer with a thinner bill than female/nonbreeding Smith's Longspurs. They also lack the longspur's white wingbars.
© Bridget Spencer / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, September 04, 2015Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Longspurs and Snow Buntings(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Calcariidae)
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