Snow Buntings are very hardy birds. Able to withstand temperatures of thirty below zero, they migrate more from food deprivation of seeds than from the cold. Too keep warm, these ground foragers would either huddle up together in weedy bushes or even burrow in the snow. Truly an Arctic bird!
Plumages differ with the seasons. In the late fall, both sexes will appear to have that have rich chestnut brown on the crown, cheeks and shoulders, black wings a white belly. When breeding season arrives in the tundra spring, males will have white head, shoulders and undersides with a black back and wings. The females would a similar coloration except for a mottled grey on the wings.
While wintering in Wisconsin, can be found foraging on the ground for seeds by the roadsides near agricultural areas and weedy grasslands as well as near coastal beaches.
Top picture was taken by the lighthouse on 10/28/2012 while was taking pictures of a Dunlin and a migrating Black Bellied Plover. A small flock of Snow Buntings landed in front of me from a nearby bush. The winds howled cold from the lake, freezing my fingers NUMB! It was really difficult to get many great pictures. The picture below I took from the Cornell Lab site to give readers an idea what the breeding season Snow Bunting looks like.
I don't think I ever saw these. Thanks, drew.
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing the first initial half dozen I when the pics were taken, I was expecting to see more throughout the winter. So far, I seen maybe one here, one there. I did see a flock of a dozen in the breeding plumage in Langlade County during Christmas.
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