Snow Bunting
(Plectrophenax nivalis)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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| NatureServe | N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding SNRN - Unranked Nonbreeding |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Size |
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6″ to 7½″ in length 14″ wingspan |
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Voice |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Pastures, grassy or weedy fields, lakeshores, roadsides, feedlots |
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Ecology |
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Migration |
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Early October to late May |
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Nesting |
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Food |
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Distribution |
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Occurrence |
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Common to locally abundant migrant and visitor |
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Maps |
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The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map |
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Taxonomy |
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| Class | Aves (birds) | ||
Order |
Passeriformes (perching birds) | ||
Family |
Calcariidae (longspurs and snow buntings) | ||
| Subfamily | Emberizinae | ||
| Tribe | Emberizini | ||
Genus |
Plectrophenax (snow and McKay’s buntings) | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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Holarctic Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis nivalis) Icelandic Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis insulae) Aleutian Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis townsendi) Siberian Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis vlasowae) |
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Visitor Photos |
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Share your photo of this bird. |
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Dan W. Andree |
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Snow Bunting... A Snow Bunting out in rural Norman Co. Mn. 2-27-23. |
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Pretty birds they are, but hard to get close enough to without them flying off. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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| Snow Bunting JMC Nature Photos |
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| Snow Bunting Peanut1371 |
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| Snow Bunting Wan Chan |
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| Snow Bunting - Plectrophenax nivalis Jean-François Hic |
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Visitor Videos |
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Share your video of this bird. |
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Other Videos |
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| Snow Buntings Paul Dinning |
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About
Published on Jan 27, 2015 A pair of snow buntings have been at St Gothain Sands near Godrevy in Cornwall for a couple of weeks now. I finally managed to track them down. http://www.wildlifeincornwall.com/ Filmed on 27th January 2015 Video Produced by Paul Dinning - Wildlife in Cornwall |
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| Snow Bunting flock Regina Christmas Bird Count 2015 Trevor Herriot |
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About
Published on Dec 30, 2015 a short clip showing hundreds of Snow Buntings moving restlessly over a stubble field with a bit of snow cover just west of Regina, Saskatchewan during the 2015 Christmas Bird Count |
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| Snow Bunting - A taste of spring ArcticDirector |
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About
Published on Apr 12, 2016 A northern bunting that breeds mainly in the Arctic, the male having white plumage with a black back in the breeding season. More snow today. But when the sun broke thru the Snow Bunting jumped around in our backyard. The shot is taken from inside our house so it is not that clear. Snow Bunting ( Plectrophenax nivalis ) Music: Noctilucent & Nori - We Could Dream |
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| Snow Buntings feeding and flight Cheryl Harner |
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About
Published on Feb 6, 2014 A large flock of snow bunting are feeding in the fields near Crestline, Ohio. Snow Buntings, with flashy black-and-white wings are quite striking in flight. Watch for the occasional Horned Lark and Lapland Longspurs in the video as well. |
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| Snow Bunting in My Yard 2014 Raymonde Bourgeois |
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About
Published on Jan 23, 2014 Every winter the Snow Bunting birds show up at the feeder in my yard. They are so beautiful and relaxing to watch. Today they came to visit January 22 2014. |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this bird. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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| Sandra Kay 11/9/2023 |
Location: Pine County in East Central MN I was driving when the bird flew not far from my windshield. The close proximity, and my having never seen a Snow Bunting before, made for an exciting experience. |
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| Dan W. Andree 2/27/2023 |
Location: rural Norman Co., Mn. A Snow Bunting out in rural Norman Co. Mn. 2-27-23. Pretty birds they are, but hard to get close enough to without them flying off. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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