Smith's Longspur

The Smith's longspur, a member of the Calcariidae family, is a small bird with a notably short, cone-shaped bill and a streaked back. Its dark tail is punctuated by white outer rectrices. The male, in his breeding plumage, is particularly striking with a pumpkin-orange throat, nape, and underparts, set against a black-and-white facial pattern and pronounced white lesser coverts. Females and immatures present a more subdued appearance with lightly streaked buffy underparts and a less conspicuous facial pattern.

Identification Tips

Adult males in breeding plumage can be identified by their vibrant orange throat and underparts, intricate facial pattern, and white wing patches. Females and young birds are more cryptic, with buffy streaks and a lighter face. All ages and sexes share the distinctive tail pattern with white outer feathers.

Habitat

Smith's longspurs breed in the open, grassy expanses near the tree line in the northern reaches of Canada and Alaska. During the winter months, they can be found in the open fields of the south-central United States, including areas such as airports.

Distribution

These birds are migratory, breeding in northern Canada and Alaska and wintering in the southern United States. Their migration path is elliptical, with northbound birds passing through Illinois in spring and southbound birds traversing the Great Plains in fall.

Behaviour

Smith's longspurs are known for their communal nesting habits, with males not defending territories. They exhibit polygynandry, where both males and females may have multiple mates. The young are cared for by the female and potentially several males. Outside of the breeding season, these birds form flocks and forage on the ground.

Song & Calls

The male's song is a sweet, warbling melody with an inflected ending, reminiscent of the chestnut-sided warbler. Their call is a dry rattle, akin to a truncated version of the female brown-headed cowbird's call, but drier than that of the Lapland longspur.

Breeding

Smith's longspurs breed in small colonies. The female constructs a grass cup nest on the ground and lays three to five eggs. Both parents, which may include more than one male, feed the nestlings.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of Smith's longspurs primarily consists of seeds. During the summer, they supplement their diet with insects, and the young are mainly fed insects as well.

Conservation status

The Smith's longspur is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that, at present, there are no immediate threats to its population numbers.