Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Thick-billed Longspur [McCown's L.]
Scientific name:	Rhynchophanes mccownii
Date:	1/10/2021
Time:	1:05PM
Length of time observed:	90 minutes
Number:	2
Age:	Adult and unknown
Sex:	Male and unknown
Location:	Blue Creek Valley
County:	Box Elder
Latilong:	41.736774, -112.457926
Elevation:	4500ft
Distance to bird:	12m at closest
Optical equipment:	Kowa 20-60 spotting scope, Nikon 10 X 42 binoculars
Weather:	Overcast, calm and cold, 27F
Light Conditions:	OK, Flat light
Description: Size of bird:	small passerine
(Description:) Basic Shape:	Plump and short tailed
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	Mostly gray-brown
(Description:) Bill Type:	granivore
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	As I was driving a dirt road in wheat fields, a small group of Horned Larks flushed from the road, as they flew south I heard a rattle call of a longspur, so I pulled over and got the scope out and scanned where they landed, and quickly found a Lapland Longspur mixed in. As I was watching the Lapland a Thick-billed Longspur popped up out of the snow into view, I noted the facial pattern of bold supercilium contrasting with a dark cheek, lateral throat stripe and pale throat with a huge over sized head and large stout pink bill(Muppet headed longspur is my proposed new name for them), then I saw the black breast chevron and rusty wing bar. Shortly another popped up next to it. One was an adult male in basic plumage with a bold black chevron, the others chevron was more faded making it a NAM(non-adult male or female). We watched them feeding in the field for sometime, then a large flock of Horned Larks flew in and they joined that flock, which was very flighty moving around a lot, but I was able to relocate the Laplands and Thick-billed Longspurs fairly easily several times over then next hour as I continued to scan the flock for additional species of Longspurs. At one point one flew over us calling and I saw the distinctive white tail with the dark T, and they even landed in the road nearby. (see photos)
Song or call & method of delivery:	Heard giving "rattle" calls and clear whistles in flight
Behavior:	Feeding on seeds in wheat fields in a large mixed flock mostly composed of Horned Larks with several Lapland Longspurs as well
Habitat:	Mostly wheat fields with weedy edges and mixed grassland-sagebrush nearby.
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	Horned Lark(female/juvenile)-Larger and longer tailed, faint mask on face contrasting with white throat, dark collar, direct comparison. Lapland Longspur-Generally more contrasting and colorful, orange nape, black auriculars, black streaking on flanks and white belly, smaller orange-pink bill, rust wing coverts with 2 white wing bars, more slender build and normal sized head, direct comparison. Chestnut-collared Longspur-Smaller darker bill and white wing bars in wing coverts, normal sized head.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	Yes, several
References consulted:	Memory
Description from:	From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting
Observer:	Bryant Olsen
Observer's address:	84102
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	Vivian Schneggenburger and Lauri Taylor were with me, we were also briefly joined by 2 people from Wasatch Audubon, I can't recall their names?
Date prepared:	1/10/21
Additional material:	Photos
Additional comments:	eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S79046226