McCown's longspur is a small ground-feeding bird from the family Calcariidae, which also contains the longspurs and snow buntings.
Description
These birds have a large cone-shaped bill, a streaked back, a rust-coloured shoulder and a white tail with a dark tip. In breeding plumage, the male has a white throat and underparts, a grey face and nape and a black crown. Other birds have pale underparts, a dark crown and may have some black on the breast. The male's song is a clear warble. The call is a dry rattle. This bird was named after Captain John P. McCown, an American army officer who later fought for the Confederacy. In recent years, contention has surrounded the wisdom of honouring Captain McCown in this manner, as he was "a man who fought for years to maintain the right to keep slaves, and also fought against multiple Native tribes". Suggested alternative English names include Prairie Longspur, Belted Longspur, or Black-crowned Longspur.
Behaviour
In winter, they migrate in flocks to prairies and open fields in the southern United States and northern Mexico. They prefer areas with sparser vegetation than those chosen by the chestnut-collared longspur. These birds forage on the ground, gathering in flocks outside of the nesting season. They sometimes make short flights in pursuit of flying insects. They mainly eat seeds, also eating insects in summer. Young birds are mainly fed insects. This bird breeds in dry short grass prairies in central Canada,, and the north central United States. The female lays 3 or 4 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. The numbers and range of these birds have declined since the early 1900s due to habitat loss.
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