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long·spur | \ ˈlȯŋ-ˌspər 
\
\Definition of longspur
: any of several long-clawed finches (especially genus Calcarius) of the arctic regions and the Great Plains of North America
Examples of longspur in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web The longspur is a bird of wide horizons and short grass, a prairie bird.
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Jim Williams, Star Tribune, "Once you start renaming birds, there's a lot to unravel," 8 Sep. 2020 The bird will now be known as the thick-billed longspur.
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Aj Willingham, CNN, "A bird named for a Confederate general officially has a new identity," 13 Aug. 2020 Many birders and researchers believe that renaming shouldn’t be limited to the longspur.
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Hannah Thomasy, Smithsonian Magazine, "A Bird Named for a Confederate General Sparks Calls for Change," 21 July 2020 Sightings at Nauset Spit in Orleans included a Lapland longspur, 3 marsh wrens, 5 American pipits, 21 Savannah sparrows, a yellow-breasted chat, and 3 bobolinks.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Recent bird sightings on Cape Cod (as of Sept. 24) as reported to the Massachusetts Audubon Society.," 1 Oct. 2019 Parker River National Wildlife Refuge: Among reports were four Northern shovelers, a Eurasian wigeon, a ruddy duck, a pectoral sandpiper, three American woodcocks, an Eastern phoebe, and a Lapland longspur.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Most read on BostonGlobe.com," 3 Nov. 2019 At Duxbury Beach, there was a Lapland longspur and another horned grebe.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Bird sightings," 4 Aug. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'longspur.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for longspur
The first known use of longspur was in 1828
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