Female Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis on a Norfolk beach
Male Snow Bunting feeding on the Norfolk coast in winter The snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis), sometimes colloquially called a snowflake, is a passerine bird in the longspur family Calcariidae. It is an arctic specialist, with a circumpolar Arctic breeding range throughout the northern hemisphere. There are small isolated populations on a few high mountain tops south of the Arctic region, including the Cairngorms in central Scotland and the Saint Elias Mountains on the southern Alaska-Yukon border, and also Cape Breton Highlands. It is fairly large and long-winged for a bunting, 15–18 cm (– in) long and with a wingspan of 32–38 cm (13–15 in), and weighing 26–50 g (– oz). In flight, it is easily identified by its large white wing patches. The breeding male is unmistakable, with all white plumage and a black back; the breeding female is grey-black where the male is solid black. In winter plumage, both sexes are mottled pale ginger, blackish and white above, and pale ginger and white below, with the males having more white than the females. The bill is yellow with a black tip, all black in summer males. Unlike most passerines, it has feathered tarsi, an adaptation to its harsh environment. No other passerine can winter as far north as this species apart from the Common Raven.
Size: 3888px × 2592px
Location: Salthouse, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © Kit Day / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: beach, bird, bunting, cley, england, female, grass, kingdom, nature, nivalis, norfolk, plectrophenax, portrait, reserve, rock, salthouse, shingle, snow, titchwell, united, winter
