Meadow & Feather

Birds › Sea cliffs › Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Plectrophenax nivalis

Nests farther north than almost any other songbird, even on the northern tip of Greenland.

Where to see it for real: In winter flocks visit open fields and shores; they eat seed scattered on the ground.

Spot it in the game

Lives in the Sea cliffs habitat (North Atlantic coast, in summer).

Snow Bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis
Photo: Михаил Малышев, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist. Cut out from the original photo.

Snow Bunting facts

Family
Longspurs and snow buntings
Length
6.3 in (16 cm)
Wingspan
13 in (33 cm)
Weight
1.4 oz (40 g)
Diet
Seeds in winter, insects in summer.
Range
Breeds on Arctic tundra; winters across Canada, the northern United States, Europe and Asia.
Nest
A cup of moss and grass deep in a rock crevice.
Song
A short, musical warble.
Active
by day
Status
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: widespread and not at risk.

What the Snow Bunting sounds like

Recording 1: Sonothèque ADVL, CC0, original on xeno-canto. Trimmed and cleaned of low background noise.
Recording 2: Tero Linjama, CC BY 4.0, original on iNaturalist. Trimmed and cleaned of low background noise.

How to attract the Snow Bunting

Feeder foods, favorite first: millet, sunflower seed. Feeders that hold them: tube feeder and platform feeder.

In the game: fill a feeder with millet and sunflower seed. It is an uncommon visitor, so be patient.

More: bird songs and calls, what to feed birds.

More birds of the sea cliffs

Atlantic PuffinAtlantic PuffinSea cliffsRazorbillRazorbillSea cliffsCommon MurreCommon MurreSea cliffsBlack-legged KittiwakeBlack-legged KittiwakeSea cliffsNorthern GannetNorthern GannetSea cliffsNorthern FulmarNorthern FulmarSea cliffs

Spot the Snow Bunting yourself

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