McCOWN'S LONGSPUR 1575 



This longspur appears in this locality late in April. At first the birds keep in 

 flocks, sitting on the ground so closely that an observer can get among them 

 without detecting their presence until he startles one or more almost under his 

 feet. On such occasions the startled birds will fly a few feet, while the remainder 

 of the flock will continue to crouch upon the ground. As the days pass, the males 

 utter a low, trilling song, not greatly different from that of the horned larks. 

 Soon the longspurs scatter over the prairie and the peculiar flight-songs of the 

 males begin. Rising with twittering hurried chant after an ascent of a few yards, 

 they will drop downward with out-spread, unmoving wings, uttering their gush 

 of song, thus descending parachute-like to earth. 



From shrubs, rocks and piles of stone as well as from the air, those 

 males early inclined toward the selection of territory fling their chim- 

 ing notes across the benches, proclaiming their chosen plots of prairie 

 habitat. Mickey (1943) describes the activity — I am indebted to her 

 "Breeding Habits of McCown's Longspur," a paper meaty with 

 information about this subject: 



The male proclaimed his right to a territory chiefly by a characteristic flight- 

 song. In the early spring he was a persistent and exuberant singer. He mounted 

 into the air, spread his wings and floated downward, repeating over and over the 

 phrases of his song, see, see, see me, see me, hear me, hear me, see. Sometimes the 

 bird did not alight after one descent, but rose immediately for another song. 



The first males to settle in a region claimed territories that were larger than 

 necessary. As more and more resident males arrived, they tried to establish 

 themselves on ground already claimed by others. 



The result was increased tension among the males and a subsequent 

 "squeezing" of available space into smaller and smaller units to ac- 

 commodate the most recent arrivals. "The newcomers that I 

 observed," Mickey continues, "succeeded in holding the territories 

 that they appropriated. As their territories decreased in size the 

 birds increased the vigor of their defense, in order to keep an area of 

 sufficient size around the nest from which the adults could secure the 

 large quantities of food needed by the young nestlings and still be able 

 to brood them for long periods." Adjusted territories, in Mickey's 

 judgment, were seldom less than 250 feet in diameter. But such close 

 proximity, wing by beak, as it were, was enough to increase the 

 possibility of tension and the necessity for defensive behavior. 



"For the male longspurs, who held small territories in areas where 

 more birds congregated, the conspicuous flight-song and occasional 

 chasing of an intruder were not sufficient to hold their territories; they 

 often had to fight neighboring males. The bird defending a territory 

 challenged the trespasser by flying at him, singing and rapidly flutter- 

 ing his wings. If the intruding bird was easily intimidated, he was 

 chased off the territory; if not, the two males rose in the air fighting." 

 Thus high above the grass and the blue lupine, where earlier the birds 

 had performed in graceful solo, but now in fierce combat! veness, "bill 



