Birds of North America
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalis

A flock of Snow Buntings flying in a field, seen in mid-January, Aylmer, Quebec, Canada.

A Snow Buntings in non-breeding plumage, flying across a road south of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Two Snow Buntings and a Horned Lark braving -10 F degree temperatures, seen in a snow blizzard near Richmond, Ontario, Canada.

A back view of a Snow Bunting in non-breeding plumage, along the Ottawa River shoreline, near Shirleys Bay, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

A side view of a Snow Bunting in non-breeding plumage, perched on a thistle, along a path on Amherst Island, near Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

A front view of a Snow Bunting in breeding plumage, perched on a fence post, north of Quyon, Quebec, Canada.

A back view of a Snow Bunting in breeding plumage, perched on a fence post, north of Quyon, Quebec, Canada.
Life, Habitat & Pictures of the Snow Bunting
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Name
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Family
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Latin Name
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| Snow Bunting | 6.75" 17.15cm | 14" 35.56cm | 1.5oz 42.53g | Emberizidae | Plectrophenax nivalis |
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Click on the bird name below to see the habitat and range map of the
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Snow Bunting
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Written by: Bruce Di Labio
French: Bruant des neiges
Circumpolar in its distribution, the Snow Bunting spends most of its life on the rocky tundra in northern North America. It migrates in the fall to southern Canada and northern United States where it is referred to as the harbinger of winter.
Snow Buntings typically travel in large flocks as they fly up and over open fields, swirling through the air like snowflakes- hence its local nickname “Snowflake”.
During the winter months, it feeds mainly on seeds and grasses found in open fields or manure piles. In early spring, flocks begin their migration northward, typically in March and by mid- April most have left the south. For those living in the Arctic the return of the Snow Bunting marks the beginning of spring.
Males arrive first to stake out territories followed by females. Like many prairie species, the male Snow Bunting has a territorial and courtship flight display. Their nest, which is made of grasses, mosses, and lined with hair and feathers is placed deep in cavities, crevices or cracks in cliffs. The Snow Bunting is one of a few species that has been recorded at the North Pole.
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Classic Collection of North American Birds
CCNAB
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