Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus 鐵爪鵐
Category I. Accidental.
IDENTIFICATION
Oct. 2021, Michelle and Peter Wong. First-winter (based on in-hand examination of tail feathers) male.
14.5-16.5 cm. Larger than typical buntings and has a longer, nearly straight hind claw, a shorter bill that is usually pale with a dark tip (Byers et al. 1995), a long primary projection and a streaked rump.
Breeding males are very distinctive due to extensive black on head, chest and flanks and rufous nape. Breeding females have black streaked sides to crown, thick black border to rear/lower ear coverts, rusty nape and warm buff edges to greater coverts, secondaries and tertials. Non-breeding birds are similar, but browner and paler on crown and mantle and buffer on breast; males have a more rufous tinged hindneck. First-winter males have large black centres to breast feathers and a more chestnut nape.
VOCALISATIONS
The typical flight call is a short rattle, often followed by clear whistled notes.
OCCURRENCE
2018: one at Nam Sang Wai on 13 March.
2021: one at Long Valley from 27 October to 1 November.
RANGE & SYSTEMATICS
Very abundant in large parts of its circumpolar arctic breeding distribution, which extends as far south in northeast Asia as Sakhalin. In the non-breeding season the main concentrations of Palearctic breeding birds are to be found in Russia, Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia to the Sea of Japan. Liu and Chen (2020) indicate it occurs in winter in northern Xinjiang, northeast China to the area of south of Beijing and also patchily along the Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) valley to the east coast.
Five subspecies are recognised, three of which could occur in Hong Kong: nominate lapponicus breeds in north Europe and north Asia, C. l. kamtschaticus breeds in northeast Siberia (and is thus most likely to occur) and C. l. alascensis breeds in extreme east Siberia, Alaska and northwest Canada. Two other subspecies breed in the remainder of its range. Geographical variation is slight and largely clinal (Byers et al. 1995).
CONSERVATION STATUS
IUCN: Least Concern. Population trend increasing.
Byers, C., Olsson, U. and Curson, J. (1995). Buntings and Sparrows. A Guide to the Buntings and North American Sparrows. Pica Press, UK.
Liu, Y. and Chen, Y. H. (eds) (2020). The CNG Field Guide to the Birds of China (in Chinese). Hunan Science and Technology Publication House.
