Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus)

Lapland Longspurs [dorsal view of basic-plumaged individuals]. Photograph Credit: David L. Roemer; Barren County, Kentucky; 12 November 2013.

Abundance: Very Uncommon; about 20 records in 11 Regional counties, 5 in Kentucky and 6 in Tennessee (Map of UCR Distribution); data from the Regional bird-monitoring efforts are too few to determine a trend in the population wintering in the Region (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Winter Resident; irregularly present, mainly during winters when large flocks of Horned Larks invade the Region; such winters often occur when deep snow or ice cover occurs north of the Region; photograph [lateral view of basic-plumaged individuals] (Roseanna M. Denton; Pulaski County, Kentucky; 5 February 2009).

Regional High Count: 1000 (30 January 2009; Wayne County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton).

Information on Records: 

6 November 1966 (5–6) Beaver Creek, Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky  (Russell Starr; Starr 1967), associated with American Pipits.

22 November 2000 (1?) Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky (David L. Roemer).

19 December 2000 (3) near Celina, Clay County, Tennessee (Roseanna M. Denton, Arlene M. Morton), a CBC record; associated with Horned Larks.

19 December 2000 (2) Overton County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman), a CBC record; associated with Horned Larks.

20 December 2000–5 January 2001 (1–85) Old Mill Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman et al.), associated with Horned Larks.

29 December 2000–2 January 2001 (1–35) Gastineau Rd., Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

6–7 December 2002 (2) Old Mill Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Winston A. Walden), associated with Horned Larks. 

6 January 2007 (1) J. Paul Smith Cattle Ranch, Mayland, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Joseph E. Mast et al.), associated with Horned Larks.

11 November 2007 (1) Ted Davis Rd., Cumberland County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand), associated with Horned Larks.

9/19 February 2008 (1/2) Student's Home Rd., DeKalb County, Tennessee (Judy C. Fuson, Carol D. Williams), associated with Horned Larks.

22 December 2008 (1) Frank's Ferry Rd., White County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand), a CBC record; associated with Horned Larks.

29/31 January & 5 February 2009 (500/150) Gastineau Rd., Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton, Steve Denton, Linda McClendon, Connie S. Neeley/Roseanna M. Denton photo [5 February 2009; see also Status {above}]), associated with Horned Larks.

29/30 January 2009 (200/500) Rt. 914 in Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton, Steve Denton/Roseanna M. Denton, Steve), associated with Horned Larks.

29 January 2009 (38) Fonthill, Russell County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton, Steve Denton).

29 January 2009 (5) Hovious Ridge Rd., Adair County, Kentucky  (Roseanna M. Denton, Steve Denton).

30 January 2009 (1000/4) Anna Brown Rd./Frazer Rd., Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton, Steve Denton/Roseanna M. Denton, Steve Denton), associated with Horned Larks.

22 February 2009 (1) Hickey Ridge Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand photo, Stephen J. Stedman); loosely associated with Savannah Sparrows.

13 February 2010 (c. 80–100) Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer).

27 January 2012 (c. 10) Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer, Stephen J. Stedman, David R. Brown), associated with Horned Larks.

12 November 2013 (3+) Beaver Creek Recreation Area, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer [photo; see above], Stephen J. Stedman).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Early Fall: 6 November 1966 (Barren County, Kentucky; Russell Starr; Starr 1967).

    Late Spring: 22 February 2009 (Putnam County, Tennessee; Edmund K. LeGrand, Stephen J. Stedman).

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Habitat: Large, open, short-grass fields, bare plowed fields, and stubble fields, especially corn stubble fields.

Remarks: Late November through mid-February appears to be the optimal period during which to seek this rare northern sparrow of open expanses in our Region. It often associates with medium- to large-sized flocks of Horned Larks, as was the case for the records from Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, and Putnam counties, Tennessee, and Pulaski County, Kentucky, during the winter of 2000–2001 and for the records from Adair, Pulaski, Russell, and Wayne counties, Kentucky, during late January and early February 2009. It also occasionally flocks with American Pipits, as was the case for the first record from Barren County, Kentucky (Starr 1967), and possibly with Savannah Sparrows, as was the case for the Regional late spring date from Putnam County, Tennessee.

Check-lists of Birds for the Counties of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of each county of the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed by clicking on the links below. For each county, there are two check-lists: one list that shows the species that have been observed and where possible documented in the county within the larger list for the entire Region; and one list that includes only the species observed in the county with annotations for the date and observers for at least one sighting (the ultimate goal of the latter list will be to include annotations for the very first known Regional observation of each species in that county; this goal is probably one that will take many years to complete, if completion is even a possibility). To see if the species discussed in this species account has been observed in a county, click below or click on the link for the Map of UCR Distribution near the top of the page.

Check-lists of Birds for Some Public Access Birding Sites of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of some public access birding sites within the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed via the links below. To see if the species dealt with in this species account has been observed within any of these sites, click on the appropriate link below. See the pages for each county within the Gazetteer for links to additional smaller public access birding sites with check-lists in progress.

Literature Cited