Chestnut-collared Longspur
Chestnut-collared Longspur has fallen sharply: down 68% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Chestnut-collared Longspur
The Chestnut-collared Longspur (Calcarius ornatus) is a North American member of the Longspurs & Snow Buntings (Calcariidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the grassland birds.
- Size
- 5.5–7 in long (14–18 cm) — a small ground songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open grasslands, prairie, pasture and hayfields.
- Diet
- Seeds and insects gathered from grasses and the ground.
- Range
- Recorded on 164 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 7 states, most concentrated in the Badlands and Prairies.
- Family
- Calcariidae · Grassland birds
Notable Chestnut-collared Longspur Trends
Chestnut-collared Longspur has fallen sharply in surveyed states: down 68% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
Chestnut-collared Longspur Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Chestnut-collared Longspur is projected to fall about 100% by 2029 — from 0.43 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.00 (95% range 0.00–0.42). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±104.6%, with 40% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.46 |
| 2026 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.45 |
| 2027 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.43 |
| 2028 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.42 |
| 2029 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.42 |
Where the Chestnut-collared Longspur Is Detected
BBS routes recording Chestnut-collared Longspur, sized by most recent count.
Chestnut-collared Longspur Population Trend by State
| Colorado | -95% | 1977 | 12 |
| Minnesota | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Montana | +66% | 1970 | 45 |
| Nebraska | -96% | 1969 | 7 |
| North Dakota | -82% | 1969 | 40 |
| South Dakota | -77% | 1969 | 43 |
| Wyoming | -80% | 1981 | 16 |
Chestnut-collared Longspur Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Northern Rockies | -87% | 1971 | 8 |
| Prairie Potholes | -56% | 1969 | 64 |
| Badlands and Prairies | -77% | 1969 | 74 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | -92% | 1969 | 16 |
Chestnut-collared Longspur Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 68% since 1969. Grassland birds are North America's steepest-declining group, down roughly 50% since 1970 as prairie and pasture were lost.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.