Smith's Longspur (Calcarius pictus) is about the size of a sparrow (6 inches) and is streaked dark brown above and buff below with a black crown and face with white supercilium and cheek spot, white shoulder patch and a black tail with white outer feathers. Females are duller without the head pattern.

Breeding grounds are on the tundra of northern Alaska and northern Canada. This bird winters on the open plains in the central United States of America around Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

The nest is a hollow on the ground lined with plant materials and feathers and hidden beneath surrounding vegetation. There are 3 to 5 blotched pale greyish brown eggs. Incubation is from 11 to 12 days. When the nest is threatened the birds will perform a distraction display in order to lure any potential predators away.

Smith's Longspur is generally found in flocks foraging on the ground in search of seeds and some insects. Sometimes they will be found in mixed flocks of other Longspurs, and Sparrows and Larks.

Kingdom - Animalia | Phylum - Chordata | Subphylum - Vertebrata
Class - AvesOrder - Passeriformes | Family - Fringillidae
Genus - Calcarius | Species - Calcarius pictus

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