Spur chambers

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Spur chambers
Spurhammer (Calcarius lapponicus)

Spurhammer ( Calcarius lapponicus )

Systematics
Order : Passerines (Passeriformes)
Subordination : Songbirds (passeri)
without rank: Passerida
Superfamily : Passeroidea
Family : Northern spur bunting and snow bunting (Calcariidae)
Genre : Spur chambers
Scientific name
Calcarius
Bechstein , 1802
Yellow-throated spur hammer . The species breeds on the North American prairie

The spur chambers ( Calcarius ) are a genus of birds from the family of the spur and snow bunting (Calcariidae). It is named after the long claw on the back toe, the "spur" .

The spurhammer type species ( Calcarius lapponicus ) is circumpolar in a belt that spans the entire subarctic Eurasia and North America and winters in the northern temperate zones. As a winter guest you are also regularly represented in Germany. The other two species are found only in certain areas of North America.

The birds are typical inhabitants of open landscapes. There they are usually found on the ground foraging for food. The diet consists mainly of insects and seeds. The males also perform their territorial song in short singing flights. Overall, the spur chambers are typical representatives of the spur and snow bunting family in their way of life.

The plumage usually has brown, gray and white areas. The breeding dress of the males is much more magnificent and contrasting in all species than the plain dress and the plumage of the females and young birds.

The name of the genus Calcarius comes from the Latin calcar , "spur".

species

The white-throated spur- bunting ( Rhyncophanes mccownii ) was previously placed in the genus Calcarius . Molecular genetic studies have shown, however, that it is more closely related to the snow bunting . Therefore it is now listed in the monotypic genus Rhyncophanes .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Dorothy P. Hill and Lorne K. Gould: Chestnut-collared Longspur. In: The Birds of North America Online. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, accessed August 2, 2013 .
  2. ↑ David J. Hussell and Robert Montgomerie: Lapland Longspur. In: The Birds of North America Online. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, accessed August 2, 2013 .
  3. ↑ James A. Jobling: The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm, London 2010, ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4 , pp. 84 .

Web links

Commons : Spornammers ( Calcarius )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files