Match Thick-billed and McCown’s Longspur Names and Identify the Species
Thick-billed Longspur and McCown’s Longspur are one species, Rhynchophanes mccownii. Learn its field marks by plumage, its shortgrass prairie habitat and where to find Montana references.
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One bird, two names
Thick-billed Longspur and McCown’s Longspur are the same species. Cornell Lab of Ornithology references use the name Thick-billed Longspur and list McCown’s Longspur as another name for that bird. The scientific name, Rhynchophanes mccownii, connects the two. Its species name, mccownii, still carries the older common name.
If an older field guide, checklist or sighting record says McCown’s Longspur, read it as a record of the Thick-billed Longspur. When you compare records, match them by scientific name rather than by common name. That way a name change does not split one species into two entries.
| Name in a reference | Scientific name | How it connects |
| Thick-billed Longspur | Rhynchophanes mccownii | Name used in current Cornell references |
| McCown’s Longspur | Rhynchophanes mccownii | Listed by Cornell as another name for the same species |
Size and shape
The Thick-billed Longspur is a small, sturdy prairie songbird. It measures about 14 to 16 cm long and weighs about 25 to 29 g, a little smaller than a Horned Lark. Look for a rounded head and a heavy conical bill. A conical bill is thick at the base and tapers to a point, the shape typical of seed-eating birds. The bill’s noticeable thickness is the trait behind the current common name.
Field marks by plumage
Plumage is a bird’s full set of feathers, and it changes with sex, age and season. Find the plumage category first, then check which marks should be present for that category.
- Breeding male: black-and-white head pattern, black chest patch, chestnut patch on the wing and a dark bill.
- Nonbreeding male: browner face, smaller chest and wing patches and a pinkish bill.
- Female: buff-brown and streaked above, with a pale throat and pale belly.
- Juvenile: mottled appearance, with pale edges on the feathers.
- All plumages: when the tail is spread, it shows mostly white with a black T-shaped pattern.
The spread-tail pattern is the most consistent clue across plumages. It usually shows when a bird takes off or lands, so it is worth watching for when a plain brown bird flushes from the grass.
What can make identification uncertain
Breeding males are the easiest to recognize. Females, juveniles and nonbreeding birds are much harder because the bold head and chest patterns fade or disappear. Outside the breeding season, Thick-billed Longspurs often travel in mixed flocks with other longspurs and Horned Larks. A quick look at a streaky brown bird in such a flock is not enough on its own. Try to see several features together, such as bill shape and color, face pattern, any chest or wing patch and the spread tail.
Record only what you actually saw. If the bird never spread its tail, write that the tail pattern was not seen. Do not mark the pattern as absent. This keeps a field note from pointing to a conclusion it cannot support.
Field identification worksheet
A simple worksheet helps you compare what you saw with published descriptions. The filled-in row below is an illustrative example, not a real sighting.
| Feature | What to record | Illustrative example |
| Plumage category | Breeding male, nonbreeding male, female, juvenile or unsure | Unsure, possibly female |
| Bill | Shape and color | Heavy, conical, pinkish |
| Head pattern | Bold, muted or plain | Plain buff-brown face |
| Chest patch | Present, absent or not seen | Absent |
| Wing patch | Color, or not seen | Not seen |
| Spread tail | Pattern, or not seen | White with black T |
| Habitat | Grass height, shrubs, fields | Short grass with scattered low shrubs |
| Companions | Other species in the flock | Horned Larks |
Behavior to watch for
Thick-billed Longspurs walk on the ground while they forage. They feed on seeds, grain and insects. A small bird walking steadily through sparse grass or across a bare field, rather than hopping, fits this species’ foraging style. Behavior supports a visual identification but does not replace one, because the Horned Larks and other longspurs that share these flocks feed in similar places.
Habitat and season
In the breeding season, this longspur uses high-elevation shortgrass prairie in the northern Great Plains. Shortgrass prairie is dominated by low grasses. The species favors areas with scattered low shrubs and cactus, and it sometimes uses heavily grazed rangeland where the vegetation is kept short.
In winter, birds move farther south. There they use grasslands, playas and agricultural fields. Playas are shallow, seasonally flooded basins in dry plains. This is also when the species is most likely to appear in mixed flocks.
These habitat descriptions tell you where the species is documented. They do not guarantee that it is present at any particular prairie, refuge or field. Suitable-looking short grass does not confirm occurrence by itself.
Checking Montana occurrence
Montana lies within the northern Great Plains, but that broad fact does not show whether the species uses a specific place, such as the prairie around Medicine Lake. Cornell points readers to these resources for range and state-level information:
- All About Birds identification and range pages
- eBird Status and Trends, for modeled seasonal abundance and distribution
- Montana Field Guide
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
- Montana Natural Heritage Program
A practical workflow: write down the location and season you have in mind, then check each of these sources for explicit statements or maps covering that area and time of year. Keep notes on what each source actually says about that place. Treat a statewide mention, or a photograph labeled as taken in Montana, as separate from evidence for your specific site.
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