The chestnut-collared longspur is a species of bird in the family Calcariidae. Like the other longspurs, it is a small ground-feeding bird that primarily eats seeds. It breeds in prairie habitats in Canada and the northern United States and winters to the south in the United States and Mexico.
Region
North American Great Plains
Typical Environment
Breeds in shortgrass and mixed-grass prairies from the Canadian Prairie Provinces south through the northern Great Plains of the United States. In winter it moves to the southern Great Plains and Chihuahuan regions of the U.S. and northern Mexico. Prefers open, sparsely vegetated ground with low grasses and forbs, including grazed pastures and stubble fields. Often found near lightly disturbed sites where vegetation height is kept short.
Altitude Range
0–2000 m
Climate Zone
Continental
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Males perform conspicuous aerial song displays over territories, fluttering with a tinkling song. The white outer tail feathers flash in flight and help with identification when birds flush from the ground. Populations have declined with the loss and fragmentation of native prairies; they respond positively to grazing regimes that maintain short, sparse vegetation.
Temperament
seasonally social; territorial in breeding season
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with bounding low flights; flushes readily from the ground
Social Behavior
Breeds in open prairie where males establish territories and perform aerial display flights. Nests are cups on the ground concealed by low vegetation; clutches are tended by both parents. Outside the breeding season they form loose flocks that forage and roost together.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
A bright, tinkling series of trills and warbles delivered from the ground, low perches, or during fluttering display flights. Calls include sharp chips and soft rattles when flocks flush.
Plumage
Breeding males show a rich chestnut nape collar, black throat and belly, and crisp contrasting upperparts; nonbreeding males and females are more streaked brown with subtler collar tones. Both sexes have white outer tail feathers that are obvious in flight.
Diet
Eats a mix of grass and forb seeds most of the year, switching to more insects during the breeding season. Insects include grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars, which provide protein for growing chicks. Will also take spilled grain and weed seeds in agricultural fields during migration and winter.
Preferred Environment
Forages on bare ground or among very short grasses in native prairie, grazed pastures, and stubble fields. Often chooses areas with patchy cover that allow unobstructed ground movement and visibility.
