Last Sunday our Partnership for International Birding tour saw this baby bird near the mouth of the Solomon River east of Nome, Alaska. It took us a while to identify him.

His looks like a sparrow with white outer tail feathers but his back has golden camouflage like a golden plover.

After much debate we decided he was a baby Lapland longspur. Click here to see a male in breeding plumage.

As we pulled out of the parking area his father arrived with food.

Best Baby Bird of our trip. Thanks to Barb Bens for the photo.

(photo by Barbara Bens)