Chestnut-collared Longspur

1/2500s at f8.0, ISO:800, Canon Mark III 1Ds w/800mm, 1.4x converter


The Chestnut-collared Longspur is a small ground-feeding bird. This bird breeds in short and mixed grass prairies in central Canada and the north central United States. The female lays 4 or 5 eggs in a grass cup nest in a shallow scrape on the ground. The male sings and flies up to defend his territory. Both parents feed the young birds. In winter, they migrate in flocks to prairies and open fields in the southern United States and Mexico. These birds forage on the ground, gathering in flocks in winter. They mainly eat seeds, also eating insects in summer. Young birds are mainly fed insects. Like other prairie birds, they have disappeared from some areas due to habitat loss but are still fairly common.
Pawnee National Grassland, Co
 
04/17/2010