McCown's Longspur
Rhynchophanes mccownii
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCalcariidae (Longspurs and Snow Buntings)
- GenusRhynchophanes (Thick-billed Longspurs)
- SpeciesRhynchophanes mccownii (McCown's Longspur)
About the McCown's Longspur
The thick-billed longspur, also known as McCown's longspur (Rhynchophanes mccownii), is a small ground-feeding bird in the family Calcariidae, which also contains the other longspurs and snow buntings. It is found in North America and is the only species in the genus Rhynchophanes.
The thick-billed longspur was described in 1851 by the American amateur ornithologist George Newbold Lawrence under the English name rufous-winged lark bunting. He placed it in the genus Plectrophanes and coined the binomial name Plectrophanes mccownii. It was moved into its own genus Rhynchophanes in 1858 by Spencer Baird on account of its bill size and short spur, but was moved to Calcarius after a hybrid with the chestnut-collared longspur was discovered. It was once again placed in its own genus after a 2003 genetic study found it was more closely related to the snow buntings than the other longspurs.
"McCown's longspur" is no longer used by the American Ornithological Society, instead being changed to "thick-billed longspur", a literal translation of its genus name, Rhynchophanes. The IOC Bird List has followed suit with the name change.
The name "McCown" refers to Captain John P. McCown... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Chestnut-collared Longspur
Calcarius ornatus
Lapland Longspur
Calcarius lapponicus
Verdin
Auriparus flaviceps
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Lesser Goldfinch
Spinus psaltria
Abert's Towhee
Melozone aberti
Vermilion Flycatcher
Pyrocephalus rubinus
Curve-billed Thrasher
Toxostoma curvirostre
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Phainopepla
Phainopepla nitens
Cactus Wren
Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
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 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a McCown's Longspur in Saguaro National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a McCown's Longspur sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 45 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see McCown's Longspur in Saguaro National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for McCown's Longspur in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.