Snow bunting by Tabs Taberham 1/10
Snow bunting by Elizabeth Dack 2/10
Snow bunting by Julian Thomas 3/10
Snow bunting by Elizabeth Dack 4/10
Snow buntings by Geoff Tibbenham 5/10
Snow bunting by Elizabeth Dack 6/10
Snow buntings by Les Fisher 7/10
Snow bunting by Lawrie Webb 8/10
Snow buntings by Richard Porter 9/10
Snow bunting by Chris Moore 10/10

Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis

This delightful winter visitor must be one of the world's hardiest songbirds. Yet despite its attractive, white-patterned plumage, flocks of the species still have a real knack of blending into their beach, shingle or saltmarsh surroundings.

Conservation status

Some indications of declines as a wintering bird but numbers variable from year to year. Climate change and global warming may be affecting their breeding habitats adversely as this is a northern breeder relying on open tundra and mountain habitats. In Britain this bird is restricted to high Scottish mountain tops for breeding.

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Details

Did you know?

The snow buntings that visit Norfolk are of two different races. The majority are thought to come from Iceland P.n. insulae with others P. n. nivalis from Greenland and Scandinavia.

Snow buntings often feed on seeds of saltmarsh plants washed up along strand lines and if you sit quietly birds will sometimes approach very closely.

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