Espolón largo de collar castaño

The grasslands this species relies on are quickly disappearing. The Chestnut-collared Longspur has declined steeply over the last half-century as grasslands have been lost to row-crop agriculture and exotic grass species like crested wheatgrass, smooth brome, and others. Most importantly, however, this is one of several grassland species that require large expanses of grass. This reflects the vast historic scales that these grasslands once occupied. Additionally, the longspur’s best defense against nest predators in a two-dimensional habitat is a sea of grass within which to hide its nest.

Grasslands and the wild beings that depend on them are also at risk from the spread of trees and woody shrubs. Adapted to sprawling two-dimensional habitats, grassland birds avoid areas with woody vegetation where they are more vulnerable to higher numbers and species of predators. Historically, periodic low-intensity fires maintained the grasslands by burning down larger woody plants while grasses could resprout from extensive root systems. In the last century, fire suppression on the prairie has allowed woody shrubs and trees to spread into grassland areas, reducing the amount of habitat available to Chestnut-collared Longspurs and other sensitive grassland species.

ABC is working to preserve and restore North America’s native grasslands to ensure that the Chestnut-collared Longspur, Long-billed Curlew, and other grassland species can thrive on their northern breeding grounds. Since 2019, our Northern Great Plains Program has worked with landowners to improve more than 1 million acres of private lands through grazing management and habitat restoration, ensuring that they support people and birds together.

In the longspur’s nonbreeding range, Pronatura Noreste, ABC, and other partners have restored and protected more than 150,000 acres in Mexico’s Valles Centrales BirdScape, the largest of 12 Grassland Priority Conservation Areas (GPCAs) identified in Mexico by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation — and one of the richest for grassland birds in the Chihuahuan Desert. And, with the Robles y praderas y Río Grande Joint Ventures, we work to restore and conserve grasslands through brush management from Oklahoma to Mexico, ensuring the longevity of the habitats to support the longspur through its full annual cycle.

ABC advocates for policies at the local, state, and federal levels that benefit birds. The Farm Bill, in particular, is the single largest source of conservation funding in the world and has an outsized impact on grassland bird conservation. The programs it funds help ABC, the Migratory Bird Joint Ventures, and landowners such as ranchers and farmers become partners in conservation. Programs like the Conservation Reserve Program, the Grassland Restoration Incentive Programs, and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program have boosted efforts to encourage bird-friendly practices on working and private lands, benefiting the Chestnut-collared Longspur and many other species.

Chestnut-collared Longspurs forage on the ground for insects (particularly grasshoppers), spiders, and seeds, often scratching after them with their oversized feet. They also pick food from low vegetation, and sometimes make short flights to nab flying insects. During the breeding season, they focus on protein-rich invertebrates, then switch to seeds during the winter.

The male Chestnut-collared Longspur defines and defends his territory through a conspicuous flight display, singing on the wing while flaunting his pitch-black belly and crisp white tail against the blue of the wide-open prairie sky. At closer range, he may also perform on the ground, fanning his tail and wings while raising and bowing his head.

Once mated, the pair begins to nest. The female excavates a cup-shaped depression in the ground, usually next to or within a shrub, clump of grass, or sometimes even cow dung. She builds her nest within this depression, primarily from grasses, then lines the nest with softer material such as fur, feathers, hair, or plant fibers. The nest rim is typically flush with the ground. If her nest is destroyed, she will build another. This resilient species may try to re-nest as many as four times within a season!

The female Chestnut-collared Longspur lays three to five eggs, and does most of the incubation herself while her mate stands guard over their territory. If disturbed while on the nest, she takes flight and performs a flappy distraction display to lead potential predators away from the area, much like the injured-wing act deployed by nesting Chorlito americano. Once the young hatch, the male joins in their care, helping the female shade them from the sun, joining in distraction displays, and aggressively attacking intruders. Both parents feed the rapidly growing nestlings, which leave the nest within two weeks. The male then takes over feeding duties, which continue for almost another month, while the female begins a second brood.