The Lapland longspur was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae.

The Lapland longspur is a ground-nesting bird, preferring to build its cup nest on heavily-vegetated slopes or among tussocks in low-lying wet areas.

[12][13] During the winter, these birds are commonly found across the Great Plains and northeast of the United States, as well as southern Canada, where they can typically be seen foraging in agricultural fields.

[14] Lapland longspurs often form mixed-species flocks in winter, where they are regularly accompanied by horned larks and snow buntings.

[16] The food habits of the Lapland longspur are quite simple: mostly seeds in winter and arthropods in the summer, when they are in activity.

[18] Longspurs can consume between 3000 and 10,000 prey items (insects or seeds) per day, depending on their energy needs ; they may need to increase this number by 3000 when feeding the young.