Chestnut-collared Longspur

Sweet and coarse notes jostle through a compact song, with short calls popping up between performances. The whole clip is less purely tinkling than a single display phrase.

A true migrant of the Great Plains. It breeds on the northern prairies of Canada and the north-central U.S., then winters farther south across the southern Plains and into northern Mexico.

Shortgrass and mixed-grass prairie is home turf. Look for wide, open ground with low vegetation, bare patches of soil, and very few shrubs—often native prairie or lightly to moderately grazed pasture.

Spring and early summer bring the best show, when males launch into fluttering display flights and sing over the grass. By fall and winter, they grow quieter and gather in ground-feeding flocks in open fields and prairie.

This prairie bird looks modest until a breeding male pops into view—buff face glowing, chestnut collar lit up, black belly sharp against the grass. Listen for a sweet, tinkling song drifting down as he flutters high above the prairie like a tiny kite.