Chestnut-collared Longspur Identification and Prairie Habitat

How big is a Chestnut-collared Longspur?

A Chestnut-collared Longspur is a small prairie songbird about 4.5 to 6 inches (11 to 15 centimeters) long. Birds in Montana are the same species seen elsewhere in the breeding range, so this range applies to them as well. Size alone will not confirm the species, because many small grassland birds fall within a similar range. Use it to narrow your options, then confirm with plumage, tail pattern, behavior and habitat.

Breeding male: the easiest plumage to recognize

The breeding male is the bird the species is named for. Look for three features together:

• Black belly, which stands out against the grass when the bird perches upright or flies overhead.
• Yellowish throat, which contrasts with the dark underparts.
• Rusty, or chestnut, nape. The nape is the back of the neck, and this patch forms the collar in the bird's name.

Seeing two of these marks is a strong lead. Seeing all three, along with the tail pattern described below, makes a confident identification much more likely.

Females and nonbreeding birds

Females and nonbreeding birds lack the male's black belly, yellow throat and rusty nape. They are mainly pale gray-brown above, and the breast has indistinct streaking. Indistinct means the streaks are soft and blurry, not crisp dark lines. These plain birds are easy to mistake for other brownish grassland species, so the tail becomes the key clue.

The tail pattern works in every plumage

In every described plumage, the tail is mostly white with a black triangle in the center. The triangle is widest at the tip of the tail. This mark is usually easiest to see when the bird flies up, lands, or spreads its tail during display. Because the pattern is shared by males, females and nonbreeding birds, it is the single most useful check for a pale or worn individual.

Song and singing behavior

The song is a sweet warble. It is often compared to a Western Meadowlark's song, so a meadowlark-like phrase from a small bird low over the grass is worth following up. Males sing from exposed perches and during aerial displays. In these displays, the male descends toward the ground with his tail spread, which shows off the white-and-black pattern. A descending song flight with a spread, mostly white tail is a good behavioral clue in breeding habitat.

Movement on the ground

Chestnut-collared Longspurs walk or run while feeding rather than hopping. A small bird moving steadily across short grass or bare patches fits this species. Check the plumage and tail before deciding, because other ground-feeding birds also walk.

Field comparison grid

Use this grid to record what you actually saw. If a feature was hidden, leave it blank. A feature you could not see should not count as evidence that it is missing from the bird.

Feature	Breeding male	Female or nonbreeding	Your observation
Length	4.5–6 in (11–15 cm)	4.5–6 in (11–15 cm)
Belly	Black	Pale, no black
Throat	Yellowish	Not yellow like the male
Nape	Rusty chestnut	Lacks the rusty collar
Upperparts	Patterned with the above marks	Mainly pale gray-brown
Breast streaking	Not a key mark	Indistinct
Tail	Mostly white, central black triangle	Mostly white, central black triangle
Movement	Walks or runs while feeding	Walks or runs while feeding
Song or display	Sweet, meadowlark-like warble; sings from perches and in descending flights	Display singing is described for males
Habitat	Short or grazed grassland, some bare ground, few shrubs	Same

Example: working through a pale bird

Here is a hypothetical case. You find a small, pale gray-brown bird walking through grazed prairie. It has no black belly and no rusty nape, so it is not a breeding male. Do not rule out the species yet. Check the breast first. Soft, blurry streaking fits a female or nonbreeding Chestnut-collared Longspur. Then wait for the bird to flush or land. If the tail shows mostly white with a central black triangle, the identification is well supported. If you never see the tail, record the bird as a possible longspur, not a confirmed one.

Breeding habitat

Breeding birds use shortgrass prairie or grazed mixed-grass prairie that has some bare ground and few shrubs. In dry landscapes, they may also use low areas that are wetter and more densely vegetated. Tall, dense grassland or shrub-covered ground is a weaker match than open, short or grazed grass.

Range: Montana and beyond

The species breeds in the Northern Great Plains. Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are its principal nesting areas, so northeastern Montana prairie lies within its core breeding region. In winter, it moves to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Records far outside these areas, such as an observation on the Washington coast, are unusual occurrences rather than part of the normal range.

Range maps and habitat descriptions show where the species is documented. They do not guarantee a sighting at a particular site or on a particular day. Within the breeding range, your chances are best in suitable short or grazed grassland. A singing or displaying male is often the first bird you will notice.