Snow bunting Plectrophenax nivalis

Identification Tips:

• Length: 6 inches
• Short, conical bill
• Large white patches in wings
• Inhabits open areas: tundra, beaches, barren fields, etc
• Often found in flocks
• Feeds on the ground
• Distinctive call note given in flight

Male alternate:

• White head and underparts
• Black back and bill
• Black wings and tail with some white patches
• Plumage worn on the breeding grounds in the Arctic

Female alternate:

• White head with some dark streaking
• White underparts
• Upperparts streaked black and gray
• Black wings and tail with some white patches
• Plumage worn on the breeding grounds in the Arctic

Basic:

• Variable amounts of brown on head, back and sides of breast
• Dark streaks on back
• White underparts
• Yellow bill
• Plumage worn in Winter and during migration

Similar species:

The Snow Bunting is easiest to identify in flight with its large white wing patches and distinctive calls. On the ground, it is whiter than other species that occupy a similar habitat. In Alaska, McKay's Bunting is similar but has a white back.

Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.