Calcarius

Calcarius is a genus of longspurs — small passerine birds of the family Calcariidae — with a fossil record extending to the Pleistocene of North America. The genus includes several Arctic and subarctic tundra-breeding species today. Fossil material from the United States documents their Pleistocene range in lower latitudes during glacial periods. Despite being listed as carnivorous here, modern Calcarius species are primarily seed-eaters and insectivores of open arctic habitats.