WhenToBird

Calcarius lapponicus · Calcariidae

When Do Lapland Longspurs Arrive in Connecticut?

Adult Lapland Longspur
Photo: Matt Schenck, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Lapland Longspurs are winter birds in Connecticut: they arrive in the second week of October, peak in late November (1.2% of checklists), and most are gone by early March.

When to look

First arrivalsOct 8-14the second week of October
Common byOct 8-14the second week of October
PeakNov 22-30late November
Most gone byMar 1-7early March

Best: late November. First arrivals the second week of October; most are gone by early March. Peak: on about 1.2% of Connecticut checklists.

  1. Jancommon
  2. Febuncommon
  3. Maruncommon
  4. Apruncommon
  5. Mayrare
  6. Junnot usually seen
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augnot usually seen
  9. Seprare
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Decpeak season

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%0.5%1%1.5%Jan 1-7: 0.5% of 18950 checklistsJan 8-14: 0.5% of 13676 checklistsJan 15-21: 0.6% of 13377 checklistsJan 22-31: 0.5% of 17004 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0.4% of 10218 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0.2% of 11568 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0.3% of 15916 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.4% of 11413 checklistsMar 1-7: 0.2% of 10754 checklistsMar 8-14: 0.1% of 12051 checklistsMar 15-21: 0.1% of 12616 checklistsMar 22-31: 0.2% of 17801 checklistsApr 1-7: 0.1% of 13186 checklistsApr 8-14: 0.2% of 14428 checklistsApr 15-21: 0.3% of 14738 checklistsApr 22-30: 0.2% of 21753 checklistsMay 1-7: 0.1% of 22494 checklistsMay 8-14: 0.1% of 23363 checklistsMay 15-21: 0.1% of 20219 checklistsMay 22-31: 0.1% of 20778 checklistsJun 1-7: 0% of 12234 checklistsJun 8-14: 0% of 12491 checklistsJun 15-21: 0% of 10856 checklistsJun 22-30: 0% of 11964 checklistsJul 1-7: 0% of 9437 checklistsJul 8-14: 0% of 8599 checklistsJul 15-21: 0% of 8252 checklistsJul 22-31: 0% of 11329 checklistsAug 1-7: 0% of 8116 checklistsAug 8-14: 0% of 8051 checklistsAug 15-21: 0% of 8502 checklistsAug 22-31: 0% of 13673 checklistsSep 1-7: 0% of 9873 checklistsSep 8-14: 0% of 9735 checklistsSep 15-21: 0.1% of 10120 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.1% of 12543 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.1% of 10735 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.3% of 10869 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.7% of 10436 checklistsOct 22-31: 0.4% of 13808 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.4% of 10507 checklistsNov 8-14: 0.6% of 9827 checklistsNov 15-21: 1.0% of 9904 checklistsNov 22-30: 1.4% of 13396 checklistsDec 1-7: 1.0% of 8974 checklistsDec 8-14: 1.0% of 9468 checklistsDec 15-21: 0.5% of 11614 checklistsDec 22-31: 0.6% of 16616 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Connecticut that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in Connecticut

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. New Haven CountyBest late November · 3078 checklists that week, 139,721 in all4.5%
  2. Fairfield CountyBest early January · 5158 checklists that week, 139,848 in all0.7%
  3. Windham CountyBest the second week of November · 231 checklists that week, 19,034 in all0.4%
  4. Tolland CountyBest late December · 714 checklists that week, 39,004 in all0.4%
  5. New London CountyBest early November · 1171 checklists that week, 65,205 in all0.3%
  6. Middlesex CountyBest early January · 1226 checklists that week, 39,919 in all0.3%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Hammonasset Natural Area Preserve (southeast)New Haven County, best late November · 82 checklists that week, 1,896 in all39%
  2. Hammonasset Natural Area PreserveNew Haven County, best early December · 193 checklists that week, 10,098 in all30%
  3. Selby PondFairfield County, best early January · 34 checklists that week, 1,037 in all25%
  4. Morse ParkNew Haven County, best mid October · 121 checklists that week, 3,681 in all18%
  5. Hammonasset Natural Area Preserve (Hammonasset Point)New Haven County, best mid November · 37 checklists that week, 1,736 in all16%
  6. Seaside ParkFairfield County, best mid December · 26 checklists that week, 1,151 in all15%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Connecticut, the Lapland Longspur is most often listed on checklists started between 11 am and 1 pm (0.4% of those checklists).

0%0.5%12 am: too few checklists (325) to judge1 am: too few checklists (367) to judge2 am: too few checklists (488) to judge3 am: too few checklists (792) to judge4 am: too few checklists (2722) to judge5 am: too few checklists (9489) to judge6 am: 0.1% of 33657 checklists7 am: 0.2% of 62964 checklists8 am: 0.3% of 70645 checklists9 am: 0.3% of 64870 checklists10 am: 0.3% of 58827 checklists11 am: 0.4% of 51689 checklists12 pm: 0.4% of 45288 checklists1 pm: 0.3% of 44765 checklists2 pm: 0.3% of 44173 checklists3 pm: 0.2% of 41979 checklists4 pm: 0.1% of 33219 checklists5 pm: 0.1% of 24828 checklists6 pm: 0.1% of 15856 checklists7 pm: too few checklists (8126) to judge8 pm: too few checklists (1994) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (533) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (349) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (286) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January0.5%0.5%0.6%0.5%
February0.4%0.2%0.3%0.4%
March0.2%0.1%0.1%0.2%
April0.1%0.2%0.3%0.2%
May0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
June0%0%0%0%
July0%0%0%0%
August0%0%0%0%
September0%0%0.1%0.1%
October0.1%0.3%0.7%0.4%
November0.4%0.6%1.0%1.4%
December1.0%1.0%0.5%0.6%

Neighboring states

  • New Hampshire: arrives mid October, 1 week later than Connecticut
  • Ohio: arrives early November, 3 weeks later than Connecticut
  • Michigan: arrives mid September, 3 weeks earlier than Connecticut
  • Indiana: arrives mid November, 5 weeks later than Connecticut

Common questions

When do Lapland Longspurs arrive in Connecticut?
Lapland Longspurs are winter birds in Connecticut: they arrive in the second week of October, peak in late November (1.2% of checklists), and most are gone by early March.
When do Lapland Longspurs leave Connecticut?
Most Lapland Longspurs have left Connecticut by early March, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see a Lapland Longspur in Connecticut?
The Lapland Longspur is reported most often in late November, on about 1.2% of Connecticut checklists.
Where in Connecticut are Lapland Longspurs seen most often?
By county, New Haven County, Fairfield County, and Windham County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Lapland Longspur (counties with at least 200 checklists).