Chestnut-collared Longspur

I tried and tried across two full hours, but this was the closest I was able to get to this striking sparrow on a recent trip (my first) to North Dakota. I suspect the birds were reticent to perch in the open given the gusty afternoon wind, but my persistence was rewarded when this stunning male finally lit on isolated tuft of grass. None of the vegetation on the short-grass prairie was a foot in height, and I think this small-in-frame result nicely represents the relationship between the bird and its preferred habitat. Fortunately, he's strongly patterned and stands out in the negative space I afforded him with this wide crop!

Kidder County, North Dakota, 6/15/21
Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX Mark II
1/4000 at f/5.6, ISO 800