Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus), male
Lapland Longspur, Male

Lapland Longspur

Calcarius lapponicus

The Lapland longspur, or Lapland bunting, is a robust passerine bird characterized by its thick yellow bill, adapted for seed consumption. In the breeding season, the male dons a striking plumage with a black head and throat, a contrasting white eyestripe, and a chestnut nape. Its underparts are white, while the back is heavily streaked in black and grey. Outside of the breeding season, both sexes exhibit a more subdued appearance with an orange-brown head, a browner back, and chestnut nape and wing panels.

Identification Tips

When identifying the Lapland longspur, look for the following key features:

  • Length: 5.9-6.3 inches (15-16 cm)
  • Weight: 0.8-1.2 ounces (22.3-33.1 g)
  • Wingspan: 8.7-11.4 inches (22-29 cm)
  • Summer males with black head and throat, white eyestripe, and chestnut nape
  • Non-breeding plumage with orange-brown head and browner back

Habitat

The Lapland longspur breeds in the wet tundra regions, often with birch or willow, and on bare mountainous areas. During the winter, it can be found on cultivated lands or coastal regions.

Distribution

This species has a circumpolar distribution, breeding across Arctic Europe, the Palearctic, Canada, and the northern United States. It is migratory, wintering in places such as the Russian steppes, the southern United States, Northern Scandinavian arctic areas, coastal Southern Sweden, Denmark, and Great Britain.

Behaviour

The Lapland longspur is often observed near the tree line and is known to feed in mixed-species flocks during winter. It is a ground-nesting bird, laying 2-4 eggs per clutch.

Song & Calls

The flight call of the Lapland longspur is a distinctive hard "prrrrt," often preceded by a nasal "teeww." During the breeding season, it also emits a softer "duyyeee" followed by a pause and then a "triiiuuu," alternating between the two sounds.

Breeding

Breeding habitats are typically wet areas with shrubs or bare mountains. The species winters on cultivated land or along coasts, often seen close to the tree line.

Diet and Feeding

In winter, the Lapland longspur primarily feeds on seeds, foraging on the ground and occasionally directly from plants. Its diet includes seeds from grasses, foxtail, millet, crabgrass, and wheat. During the summer breeding season, the diet shifts to arthropods, with both adults and nestlings consuming insects, often caught mid-air. Dipteran larvae and adults are significant components of their insectivorous diet.

Conservation status

The Lapland longspur is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it is not at immediate risk of widespread decline.

Lapland Longspur Sounds



Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Lapland Longspurs on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Longspurs, Snow Buntings

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Ellesse_W
Learning Birding with Birda
I’m relatively new to birding as a hobby, and Birda is a great way to keep track off all the species I see. I’m still working on my ID skills, but the app is great for figuring out potential species, and the online community is so friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend Birda to both early and serious birders! 🐦
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
Madstherangers
A mordern game changer
Birda is an awesome app, its updated the world of birding to the modern day with a fun and easy to use app. It’s engaging and allows positive interaction with fellow bird lovers!
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Carrie
Makes you want to spot birds more
I think this app is fun. It makes you want to spot birds more so I guess in a way it encourages you to get out and about instead of sitting in front of the TV.
Erna M
I really like Birda
I really like Birda. I also use other birding apps and have Birda with E-bird going at the same time.
BCHphotography_
Such a great app!
I didn’t think I could enjoy birding more but this app makes it so much better. Some great features and a really great way to share your sightings with your friends or fellow birders nearby or around the world! ❤️
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
EandB17
Terrific App for Birders
Downloaded Birda around the time my interest in birding was sparked, and it has been a terrific app to help me (1) share my experience, (2) document my sightings, and (3) learn more about birds in general. That said, I also believe Birda is a fantastic app for birders of all experience levels. Great community!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.