Perching Birds
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax
nivalis
Description
6-7 1/4" (15-18 cm). Sparrow-sized.
Breeding male has black back with much white on head, underparts,
wings, and tail. Female similar, but duller. Winter birds have brown
on crown and upperparts, have duller underparts, but still show much
white in wings.
Voice
Clear whistle or soft buzzy note. Song a
sweet warble.
Habitat
Arctic tundra. Winters on windswept
grasslands and beaches.
Nesting
4-6 white eggs, with red-brown spots in
ring around the larger end, placed in a cup of grass lined with fur
and feathers and concealed among rocks or in tundra
vegetation.
Range
Breeds from Aleutians, northern Alaska and
Arctic islands south to northern Quebec. Winters regularly across
southern Canada and upper tier of states to Oregon and Pennsylvania.
Also in Eurasia.
Discussion
This circumpolar bird, often called
the "Snowflake," breeds further north than almost any other land
bird. In severe winters large flocks descend to our northern states,
where they favor the most barren places. They occasionally can be
found at beach parking lots in the dead of winter searching for weed
seeds.
Perching Birds