Snow Bunting Photo Gallery

Breeding male

Chunky ground-dwelling bird with a short conical bill. Breeding males are mostly white with a black back.

Breeding female

Medium-sized full-bodied songbird with a small conical bill. Breeding females have a dark and streaky back with a dusky head and white underparts.

Breeding male

Males sing a low, husky warble on the breeding grounds.

Nonbreeding male

Small-billed sparrowlike bird. Nonbreeding males are white below with rusty patches on the head, "ear," and shoulders. Its back is dark and streaky.

Nonbreeding female

Sparrowlike bird with a small conical bill. Nonbreeding females have rusty patches on the head, "ear," and chest. The back is dark with rusty streaks.

Nonbreeding female

Forages for seeds, picking them from vegetation or from the ground.

Juvenile

Juveniles are grayish overall with darker wings and a paler belly.

Nonbreeding male

Distinctive plumage pattern in flight. On males the outer wings are dark while the inner wings are white. The outer tail feathers also flash white in flight.

Breeding male

Breeds in the high arctic in rocky areas.

Flock

Forms flocks with other Snow Buntings during winter where they tend to blend in with their surroundings. Forages in fields or along lake shores.

Habitat

Breeds in rocky areas in the tundra. Nests on the ground in rock crevices.

Nonbreeding adult

Tends to crouch low to the ground, blending in with the background.

Flock