Lapland Longspur

Lapland Longspur

Calcarius lapponicus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Saguaro National Park
20 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
979 Verified sightings across all 35 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Lapland Longspur

The Lapland longspur (Calcarius lapponicus), also known as the Lapland bunting, is a passerine bird in the longspur family Calcariidae. It is a circumpolar arctic breeder and the only member of the genus Calcarius present in Eurasia.

The Lapland longspur was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with the finches in the genus Fringilla and coined the binomial name Fringilla lapponica. The family is now generally separated by modern authors from the Fringillidae (Old World finches). The Lapland longspur is now one of three longspurs placed in the genus Calcarius that was introduced in 1802 by the German naturalist Johann Matthäus Bechstein. The English name refers to the long hind claws. The genus name Calcarius is from Latin calcaria, "spurs", and the specific lapponicus refers to Lapland.

Five subspecies are recognised: C. l. subcalcaratus (Brehm, CL, 1826) – north Canada and Greenland C. l. lapponicus (Linnaeus, 1758) – north Europe and north Asia C. l. kamtschaticus Portenko, 1937 – northeast Siberia C. l. alascensis Ridgway, 1898 – extreme east Siberia, Alaska and northwest Canada... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Chestnut-collared Longspur
VU

Chestnut-collared Longspur

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calcarius ornatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
McCown's Longspur
LC

McCown's Longspur

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rhynchophanes mccownii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Verdin
LC

Verdin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Auriparus flaviceps

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
House Finch
LC Endemic

House Finch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haemorhous mexicanus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Lesser Goldfinch
LC

Lesser Goldfinch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spinus psaltria

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Abert's Towhee
LC

Abert's Towhee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melozone aberti

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Vermilion Flycatcher
LC

Vermilion Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pyrocephalus rubinus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Curve-billed Thrasher
LC

Curve-billed Thrasher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Toxostoma curvirostre

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Yellow-rumped Warbler
LC

Yellow-rumped Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga coronata

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Phainopepla
LC

Phainopepla

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Phainopepla nitens

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Cactus Wren
LC

Cactus Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
White-crowned Sparrow
LC

White-crowned Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zonotrichia leucophrys

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
6 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
10 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
11 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
12 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
13 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
14 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
15 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
16 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
17 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
18 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
19 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
20 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
21 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
22 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
23 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
24 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
25 Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park 🇲🇳 Mongolia
Insufficient data
26 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
27 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
28 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
Insufficient data
29 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
30 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
31 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
32 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
33 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
34 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
35 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Lapland Longspur in Saguaro National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lapland Longspur sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Lapland Longspur in Saguaro National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Lapland Longspur in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

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