The Lapland Longspur breeds on the arctic tundra throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including northern Canada, and is the most common terrestrial bird species in the Arctic. In North America, it winters primarily in the United States where it is monitored by the Christmas Bird Count, results of which suggest a large increase in the population relative to about 1970, although precision of this estimate is poor. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Currently the Lapland Longspur is an abundant Arctic land-bird, and numbers appear to be increasing. Large numbers of Lapland Longspurs are often killed during winter storm events, but this does not seem to significantly affect wintering numbers in subsequent years (Hussell and Montgomerie 2002). Climate change may negatively impact the Lapland Longspur's low arctic breeding habitat but with possible habitat gains in the northern extent of the species range (Hussell and Montgomerie 2002).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
