6:20 PM
More good cold weather birds showed up in Louisville today. This time it was a flock of Lapland Longspurs, a small sparrow-like bird that often travel in mixed flocks with Horned Larks and Snow Buntings. They get the name "Longspur" from their long hind claw on their foot. They belong to the family Calcariidae which includes other longspurs and Snow and McKay Buntings. The family Calcariidae recently separated from the sparrow family Emberezidae after DNA tests confirmed they were genetically different enough to form their own clade.
On top of seeing 50+ longspurs today, I also got the privilege of seeing a Bald Eagle and a flock of Sandhill Cranes fly over. All in all a pretty good day for birds.
Posted in: Lapland Longspur
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