As I walked along the harvested cornfield a small flock of light-colored birds took rapid flight. These were one of the smallest winter visitors to our area, the Snow Bunting. Sometimes described as an Arctic specialist, this is the most northern breeding song bird on Earth.

The birds are lovely all year, but the breeding male is striking, mostly white with a black back and black highlights on wings and tails. That color scheme earned the bird the nickname “snowflake.” The non-breeding birds are a handsome mix of tan, white, and browns. The medium-sized body is short-legged and broad-necked, according to Stokes Birds.

“Plectrophenax nivalis” is described in Peter Vickery’s Birds of Maine as a winter resident, spring and fall transient. They are known for irruptive movements like the crossbills and some finches, here today and gone tomorrow. They are heavily dependent upon seeds, especially in winter when they swarm cut grain fields in flocks up to 800.  Any time of year the birds favor large open areas where seeds and invertebrates are available from sand, soil, snow, or manure.  Insects are a vital food source for chicks.

The birds normally are first reported in Maine around mid-October with their numbers peaking by late November. Most birds depart for their northern breeding territories by late winter. Christmas Bird Counts in Maine from 2007-2017 show the buntings increasing 38% annually. Cornell’s eBird reports show some birds wintering down into the mid-Atlantic states.

Snow Buntings are at home in high latitude areas including northern Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia, Russia, and Alaska. In open areas with extreme weather shifts, these birds use rocky outcrops, scree slopes, and barren tundra for breeding, finding rock crevices to conceal their nests.  The birds are equipped with feathers on their tarsi (lower legs) to conserve heat in cold weather and they are known to burrow into the snow for warmth, able to survive temperatures down to -50°F.

The males rush to their Arctic breeding sites in April to establish territories on the lingering snow, trying to beat the competition for coveted nest sites. Their mates arrive a few weeks later, and the mating season is in full swing. After pair bonds are formed females build cupped nests of grass and moss, using feathers and fur for insulation. The female lays up to seven eggs and incubates them constantly for 12 days to prevent freezing. The male brings food to his mate multiple times per hour to help keep her energy reserves stoked. The chicks fledge at 2 weeks of age.

The Snow Bunting is listed as a species of Least Concern for the IUCN. While the population is estimated at 29 million, they have dropped 38% since 1970. The primary threat to the birds appears to be a warming climate, with tundra regions undergoing rapid change. The growth of new shrubs and trees in formerly barren areas can eliminate prime nesting sites. Birds well adapted to retaining heat in cold weather can struggle to lose heat in hot conditions.

These beautiful birds are revered in Arctic cultures for their beauty and their songs of spring after bleak winters. Traditional practices include building stone nest boxes to attract a bird considered as a good luck charm.

The Canadian Snow Bunting Network unites academic researchers, citizen scientists, and conservation groups to study and track these birds through trapping and tagging. Data is collected on sex, age, and physical condition. The MOTUS Wildlife Tracking System is used to follow the migration paths of birds carrying small transmitters. Programs like the Bunting Watch and popular Christmas bird counts gather valuable data on population trends and winter distribution patterns.

I hope you have an opportunity to view these winter migrants before they depart, since few of us spend any time in tundra regions. Consider the determination required to fly thousands of miles each year, braving harsh weather to raise their young to renew the cycle of life.

If you like Ed Robinson’s writing, check out his two Nature Notes books! Click here for more information.