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Home > Coniferous Forest Animals > Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

The snow bunting, as the name suggests, is a winter bird. The migratory bird has crossed with other species like Lapland bunting.

Snow Bunting

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Passeriformes
Family Calcariidae
Genus Plectrophenax
Scientific Name Plectrophenax nivalis
Snow Bunting Image
Snow Bunting Flock

Quick Information

Description Size:  Around 5.9 in (15 cm)
Wingspan: 12.5-14.9 in (32-38 cm)
Weight: 1.05-1.4 oz (30-40 g)
Color: White body with black streaked wings while femalesare the same but males change their shades during summer and winter
Distribution Iceland, Norway, Russia, Siberia, North Greenland, Scotland, southern Canada, Poland, Germany, and Ukraine
Habitat Tundra
Sounds & Calls “hudidi feet feet feew hudidi” and “per,r,r,rit”
Lifespan Around 9 years
Diet Weeds like goosefoot, ragweed, knotweed, aster, amaranth, and seeds like poppy, bilberry,  crowberry and spiders, wasps, butterflies
Adaptation Its beak is short yet strong, perfect for eating seeds, weeds and insects. The tarsi (parts of feet) is feathered for surviving in the chilly weather
Predators Arctic foxes, falcons, skuas, and snowy owls
IUCN Conservation Status Least Concern
Male Snow Bunting
Female Snow Bunting

Behavior

  • Snow buntings clean their feathers with hard-packed snow.
  • Male birds go to the breeding site at least 3-4 weeks before their counterparts to set up their nesting ground.
Baby Snow Bunting
Snow Bunting Bird

Mating & Reproduction

Male and female snow bunters both sing to catch each other’s attention. The male stops signing upon finding the mate. After the mating, females lay around 2-7 eggs which are incubated for 10-15 days. The eggs are cream colored with brown spots.

Life-cycle

After the hatching, the juveniles take around 12-14 days before flying.

Snow Bunting in Flight
Snow Bunting Picture

Interesting Facts

  • Each male snow bunter has different vocalizations.
  • The song of the birds is a parameter for judging who is going to be a better parent, as the singing capacity ensures better foraging capacity which is in again a condition for being a good parent.
  • Snow bunters are known to spot Earth’s magnetic fields.
  •  Due to some similarities snow buntings have with McKay’s bunting, the two species are commonly confused.

Published on February 18th 2019 by Sahana Kanjilal under Coniferous Forest Animals.
Article was last reviewed on 29th March 2019.

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