Breeds north-eastern and east-central Alaska and north-central Canada from extreme northern British Columbia eastern across northern Yukon and northern and east-central Mackenzie to southern Nunavut, north-eastern Manitoba and extreme northern Ontario. Winters in southern USA from south-central Kansas, Oklahoma and northern Texas east to Arkansas (especially north-west), western Tennessee, Mississippi and northern Alabama (rare).
Smith's Longspur (Calcarius pictus) [XC356212]
by Frank Lambert from Denali Highway MP17-71 (nr\tMaclaran River), Matanuska-Susitna, Alaska, United States (song)
Smith's Longspur (Calcarius pictus) [XC590341]
by Seth Beaudreault (Toolik Field Station) from Roche Moutonnee, North Slope, Alaska, United States (call)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Molecular studies indicate that genus is basal to both the New World and the Old World emberizids, and closely related to Plectrophenax. Has been suggested that these two genera and Rhynchophanes be placed in a separate family, Calcariidae.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet