The Chestnut-collared Longspur 



tussocks. The male utters its song as it flies upward from one of these 

 knolls and when it reaches the height of ten or fifteen yards, it extends the 

 points of its wings upwards, forming a large V-shaped figure, and floats 

 gently to the ground, uttering, as it slowly sinks, its liquid tones, which fall 

 in tinkling succession upon the ear, and are perhaps the sweetest notes that 

 one hears during the entire spring-time in these regions. It is an exquisite 

 jingling melody, having much less power than that of the Bobolink, but 

 with the same general character, and, though shorter, it has even more 

 melody than the song of that well-known bird." 



No. 37 



Chestnut-collared Longspur 



A. O. U. No. 538. Calcarius ornatus (J. K. Townsend). 



Description. — Adult male in spring: Head black and white and buff; crown 

 and sides of cervix, a post-ocular streak, and a patch on side of neck, black; throat 

 and cheeks warm buff; enclosed areas white; breast extensively black (occasionally 

 with dabs of chestnut, and, in early spring, more or less veiled with buffy) ; everywhere, 

 including lower throat, outlined against white of remaining underparts; a sharply 

 outlined nuchal patch, or half-collar, of chestnut; remaining upperparts blackish, 

 edged with flaxen (light buffy brown); wings chiefly dusky with buffy brown edgings; 

 the lesser and middle coverts black; the inner feathers of lesser coverts broadly tipped 

 with white, the middle and greater coverts tipped with flaxen or whitish; tail extensively 

 white, the feathers blackish-tipped, decreasingly from central pair. Bill light brown; 

 feet and legs darker. Adult male in autumn and winter: As in spring, but lighter by 

 reason of more extended flaxen edging; blacks almost entirely veiled by buffy tips; the 

 nuchal chestnut reduced and veiled. Adult female: Similar to male in winter, but 

 still lighter and duller; the black of breast almost entirely obscured by buffy tips, and 

 chestnut collar wanting; in general, a flaxen bird, streaked with dusky above, and with 

 some outcropping of black on breast centrally (in highest plumage the characteristic 

 pattern of lesser wing-coverts most nearly retained). Immature birds resemble adult 

 female, but lack wing pattern and are obscurely streaked on sides of head and throat 

 and on chest (tail pattern of white distinctive). Length of adult male 146-157 (5.75- 

 6.20); wing 85 (3.35); tail 56 (2.20); bill 10.5 (.41); tarsus 20 (.78). Females average 

 smaller. 



Recognition Marks. — Warbler to sparrow size; black breast with chestnut 

 collar of male distinctive; but female very obscurely colored, — a dull cinnamon-buff y 

 bird, streaked with dusky above; terrestrial and more or less gregarious habits. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in California. Nest: Of grass and weed-stems, 

 lined with fine grasses, moss and horsehair; sunk flush with surface of ground, under 

 protection of weeds or grass-tuft. Eggs: 4 or 5; ovate, dull whitish as to ground, 

 heavily but obscurely freckled, spotted, or clouded, with drab or purplish drab, and 

 sharply but sparingly marked with brownish black. Av. size 19 x 14 (.75 x .55) (Reed). 

 Season: June, July; two broods. 



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