Smith's longspur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Smith's longspur |
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Calcarius
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| Species: |
pictus
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The Smith's longspur (Calcarius pictus) is a small bird that belongs to the Calcariidae family. This family also includes other types of longspur birds. Smith's longspurs love open spaces. They make their homes and raise their young in northern Canada and Alaska. When winter comes, they fly south to the United States. These birds mostly eat seeds they find on the ground. In summer, they also enjoy eating insects.
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What Smith's Longspurs Look Like
These birds have short, cone-shaped beaks. Their backs are streaked with different colors. Their tails are dark with white feathers on the outer edges.
When male birds are ready to breed, they look very colorful. They have a bright orange throat, neck, and belly. This orange color stands out against their black and white faces. Their white shoulder feathers are also easy to see in spring and early summer.
Female birds and young birds look a bit different. They have light brown bellies with faint streaks. Their heads are dark, and their wings are brown. The white shoulder feathers are not as clear on them. All Smith's longspurs have the same tail pattern, no matter their age.
Size and Weight
- Length: 5.9 to 6.7 inches (15 to 17 cm)
- Weight: 0.7 to 1.1 ounces (20 to 32 grams)
- Wingspan: About 9.8 inches (25 cm)
Where Smith's Longspurs Live
These birds like to breed in open, grassy areas. You can find them near the tree line in northern Canada and Alaska. The tree line is the edge where trees stop growing because it's too cold or windy.
In winter, many Smith's longspurs gather in open fields. They often choose places like airports in the south-central United States.
Their Travels
Smith's longspurs travel long distances between their summer and winter homes. This journey is called migration. They fly north in the spring, often stopping in Illinois. In the fall, they fly south over the Great Plains.
How Smith's Longspurs Behave
These birds often build their nests in small groups. Male Smith's longspurs do not fight over land. The female bird lays three to five eggs in a cup-shaped nest made of grass on the ground. Both male and female birds might have more than one mate. The parents, usually one female and sometimes more than one male, feed the young birds.
What They Eat
Smith's longspurs look for food on the ground. When it's not nesting season, they gather in flocks. They mainly eat seeds. In the summer, they also eat insects. Young birds are mostly fed insects by their parents.
Their Sounds
The song of the Smith's longspur is a sweet, musical sound. It ends with a special twist, a bit like the song of a chestnut-sided warbler. Their call is a short, dry rattling sound. It's drier than the call of a Lapland longspur.
How They Got Their Name
The famous bird artist John James Audubon named this bird. He named it after his friend, Gideon B. Smith.
See also
In Spanish: Escribano de Smith para niños
