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JANUARY
2006 BIRD OF THE MONTH |
SNOWFLAKE BIRDS
By Jeannie Marcure
CLICK HERE FOR .PDF VERSION
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Tom Ulrich Photo |
This month’s feature bird
visits the Flathead in winter, seeking relief from the
harsh weather of its breeding grounds in the tundra and
has the distinction of being the only winter songbird in
our area that is mostly white. A circumpolar bird, the
sparrow-sized Snow Bunting breeds farther north than almost any other land bird, and its appearance in our part of the
world heralds the approach of winter. Look for small flocks of these white
beauties in open fields and along shorelines, where they feed mainly on
seeds by walking or running along the ground. According to Radd Icenoggle
in his book Birds in Place, the winter flocks roost together on the ground in
tight, huddled masses, sometimes burrowing into the snow for insulation; they are often seen “bathing” in
the snow.
While visiting the Flathead, Snow Buntings are most easily identified in flight by their large white
wing patches. The wintering male is white overall with a buff, streaked back, a white rump patch, black wing
tips and a yellowish-orange bill. The female is similar, except that she is more brownish and lacks the rump
patch. The wintering flocks are alive with buzzy calls and whistled “tew” notes.
Cornell Labs’ Online Bird Guide says that the male Snow Buntings return to their Arctic breeding
grounds in early April when the temperatures can still dip to – 20º F and snow still covers most of the
ground. Soon after their arrival, the males set up and defend territories that include good nesting sites.
However, they will still flock together to forage and usually roost in loose groups of 30 to 80 birds. The females
do not return until four to six weeks later.
In breeding plumage, male Snow Buntings are almost pure white except for their black back, central
tail and primary wing feathers. After the arrival of the females, the Snow Buntings place their nest deep
in cracks or other cavities in rocks. These secluded sites are chosen to avoid predators such as Arctic
Foxes and Snowy Owls, and, although they are relatively safe from predators, the rocks are extremely cold.
For this reason, the open cup-like nests are lined with a thick layer of fur, lichen and feathers to help keep
the eggs and nestlings warm. Also, the female must remain on the nest for most of the incubation period
and the male feeds her during this time. The 2-7 eggs are creamy white with various brown spots and
scrawls. Incubation takes 10-16 days and newly hatched babies are helpless, with long, gray-brown down.
Both parents share the responsibility of feeding the babies for the 10 to 17 days until they fledge.
Although breeding and non-breeding males look quite different, the Snow Bunting has only one
molt per year and no true “alternate plumage.” After the molt, which occurs in
late summer, the male looks brownish with a brown and
black striped back. Underneath the colored feather tips,
the dark feathers are pure black and the body feathers
are all white. The male wears off all the feather tips
by actively rubbing them on the snow until he is
immaculate white and jet black by the time the next
breeding season arrives.
In 2005, the area Christmas Bird Counts recorded 2 Snow Buntings in Bigfork, 35 in Kalispell and
200 in Eureka, so keep your eyes peeled for these interesting visitors as you drive around the valley this
winter. The farm lands in Lower Valley and West Valley are among my favorite places to search for these
rather tiny birds. Although they’re somewhat hard to spot while on the snow-covered ground, watching a
sizable flock swirling over a field in winter can be a spectacular sight. Snow Buntings and the chance to see
them are one of the reasons that the Flathead Valley is such a great place to live! |
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