Snow Bunting

Snow Buntings are compact, strongly patterned birds about 16.5–19.1 centimetres long, with a 30.5–33-centimetre wingspan and a weight near 40 grams. White wings are their most conspicuous feature. Breeding males are mainly black and white, with white underparts and face, a black-tipped tail, and black bill and feet. Females replace much of the male’s black with grey-brown and show a smaller white wing patch. In winter both sexes become browner and develop a yellowish-orange bill. (Animal Diversity Web account)

A migratory Holarctic bird, the Snow Bunting breeds on bare, rocky slopes and winters in coastal fields, salt marshes, and agricultural land. It feeds on the ground, taking seeds, leaf buds, and insects; nestlings receive almost entirely arthropods, while some coastal birds add crustaceans after moving south. Males arrive early to defend territories. Nests of grass and moss, lined with feathers and fur, are hidden among rocks. A normal clutch contains four to six eggs, and fledging follows roughly ten to fifteen days after hatching. (Animal Diversity Web account)