Lapland Bunting
Calcarius lapponicus (Linnaeus, 1758)
LA
LAPBU
18470
Family: Passeriformes > Calcariidae
The chestnut-naped Lapland Bunting is a winter visitor to saltmarshes and coastal fields, where its rolling call often gives it away.
Lapland Buntings begin arriving in Britain & Ireland from their Arctic breeding grounds in late August and early September, with the numbers involved fluctuating between years but typically in the low hundreds. The north-east and east coasts of the UK are favoured, although small numbers of Lapland Buntings can be seen in the south and west too, and across the Irish Sea.
Some of the Lapland Buntings seen in the UK will be birds on passage, heading for wintering grounds in France. Birds begin the journey back to their breeding grounds in March.
Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Lapland Bunting
Identification
Lapland Bunting identification is sometimes difficult. The following article may help when identifying Lapland Bunting.
Identifying winter buntings
If you find brown, streaky buntings hard to identify, this workshop is for you. Using video footage, still photographs and sound recordings we highlight the differences between four species of bunting that can be found in coastal areas in winter: Reed, Little, Snow and Lapland Buntings.
SONGS AND CALLS
Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Lapland Bunting, provided by xeno-canto contributors.
Alarm call
Song
Develop your bird ID skills with our training courses
Our interactive online courses are a great way to develop your bird identification skills, whether you're new to the hobby or a competent birder looking to hone your abilities.
Browse training coursesStatus and Trends
Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.
CONSERVATION STATUS
This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.
| UK Birds of Conservation Concern | Amber listed |
| Species of European Conservation Concern | Least Concern |
| IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global) |
Least Concern 
|
| Schedule 1 license required (to disturb) | Yes |
| Birds Directive Annex 1 | No |
|
Listed on the Annexes of
|
WCA(I,IV), Bern(III) |
POPULATION SIZE
| UK (winter) | 310 (2012-17) |
| BOU Category | A |
|
First Record
|
Cambridgeshire, 1826 |
DISTRIBUTION
Lapland Buntings are very rare breeders of the Scottish Highlands. Breeding was confirmed in the late 1970s though more recently only single birds have been seen in suitable habitat. They are more likely to be seen from autumn onwards when arrivals from Fennoscandia and Greenland arrive to spend the winter. Mostly they are recorded from the coast, particularly along the North Sea coast from the Firth of Forth southward to Kent. There are scattered records from the south coast of England from Kent to Cornwall, on west coasts north to Lancashire, and around the Irish coast. Lapland Buntings are generally scarce inland.
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Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution 2008-2011.
More from the Atlas Mapstore. -
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution 2008-2011.
More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Occupied 10-km squares in UK
| No. occupied in breeding season | 1 |
| % occupied in breeding season | 0.03 |
| No. occupied in winter | 268 |
| % occupied in winter | 8.9 |
European Distribution Map
DISTRIBUTION CHANGE
The distribution recorded during Bird Atlas 2007–11 represented a 151% increase in range in Britain since the 1981–84 Winter Atlas, with gains most noticeable on western and southern coasts. In Ireland the number of occupied squares increased from one to 15.
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Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution Change 1968–72 to 2008–11.
More from the Atlas Mapstore. -
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution Change 1981–84 to 2007–11
More from the Atlas Mapstore.
| % change in range in winter (1981–84 to 2007–11) | +151.2% |
SEASONALITY
Lapland Bunting is a scarce winter visitor and autumn passage migrant, mostly in September to November.
Movement
Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.
RINGING RECOVERIES
View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.
Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland
Biology
Lifecycle and body size information about Lapland Bunting, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.
PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING
|
Number of Broods
|
1 |
|
Egg Size
|
21×15 mm Weight = 2.5 g (of which 6% is shell) |
CODES & CLASSIFICATION
|
Ring size
|
A (pulli B)* |
|
Field Codes
|
2-letter: LA | 5-letter code: LAPBU | Euring: 18470 |
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Links to more studies from ConservationEvidence.com
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