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Snow Bunting
The snow bunting, as the name suggests, is a winter bird. The migratory bird has crossed with other species like Lapland bunting.
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Passeriformes |
| Family | Calcariidae |
| Genus | Plectrophenax |
| Scientific Name | Plectrophenax nivalis |
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 |
| Predators | Arctic foxes, falcons, skuas, and snowy owls |
| IUCN Conservation Status | Least Concern |
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.
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.
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 5th December 2024.
