A photograph of a paper cutout of a photo of a Thick-billed Longspur bird sitting on a barbed wire strung between two fence posts. The background, which is out of focus, has a bright blue sky and field of green and amber prairie grassland. There is a glow of late afternoon light in the image.
“Thick-billed Longspur” sitting on a barbed wire fence

Thick-billed Longspur

TBLO
  • Scientific: Calcarius lapponicus
  • Spanish: Escribano Piquigrueso
  • French: Plectrophane à ventre gris
  • Family: Longspurs and Snow Buntings
  • Bird Code: TBLO

If there is a 3° C increase in temperature due to unmitigated climate change

Predicted percentage of habitat lost

100%
Summer range lost
63%
Winter range lost

Climate and other threats imore info

Habitat

Nests in shortgrass prairie as well as overgrazed rangeland. In winter can also be found in agricultural fields and dried-up lakes.

Range

In summer, breeds in shortgrass prairie in northern elevations of central North America from southern Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada, south to Colorado. In winter they can be found further south in western Texas and northern Mexico.

Silhouette of Grace's Warbler
Did you know?

The male Thick-billed Longspur has a dramatic mating and territorial display in which he rises 20-30 feet into the air then descends slowly to show off his striking black tail feathers while singing a tinkling song.