The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Snow Bunting

(Plectrophenax nivalis), a bird of the family Emberizidae of the order Passeriformes. The snow bunting is the sole member of the genus Plectrophenax. It is 15–19 cm long and weighs 35–40 g. The male is white marked with black; in the autumn and winter the edges of the newest feathers are reddish.

The female is brownish. Snow buntings are found in the polar regions—on the arctic islands and in the tundra zone, as far south as Scotland and the Komandorskie Islands. The birds migrate for the winter to the forest-steppe and steppe zones. They settle in rocky or dry maritime tundra. Snow buntings nest in June and early July, building their nest on the ground among rocks or driftwood. The female lays four to seven eggs, which both parents incubate for 12 or 13 days. The snow bunting feeds on seeds, insects, and the green parts of plants.

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References in periodicals archive

Three seed-eating snow buntings have been seen about the park and beach.

Birdwatchers head to beach for rare glimpse of skua

D2423_3 FIRST STEPS: Four-hour-old goat kids Lemon and Lime get a look over (above) WHAT A HANDFUL: Pat Baldwin and Sandra Cox with (front) twin sisters Lemon and Lime and twin brothers Snow Bunting and Reed Bunting.

Magnificent seven join farm

Wild wITh ErIc PAylor John Money caught this snow bunting on camera in Red cardelightful that you could anywhere is the in-law receives a visit from a snow visiting Teesside have also been joined by a few cousins, the These buntings, Yes, it is a shame that having garden feeders.

Memories of a shop that served us so well

Key words: snow bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis, Lapland longspur, Calcarius lapponicus, avian hybrid, Arctic passerine

First report of a snow bunting x Lapland longspur hybrid

Snow Bunting was an unlucky loser at Doncaster last time when, again ridden by Leanne Kershaw, Jedd O'Keefe's charge could only finish seventh.

Racing: Comfort zone beckons for Cole

Snow Bunting was a fitting winner for the first race of the Golden Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend as he was bred by The Queen.

HORSE RACING: ROYAL STRIKES A RICH VEIN

The bird-loving buddies were hoping to record exotic species like the Yellow-browed Warbler, the Upland Sandpiper and the Snow bunting.

Bird man on wild goose chase

Snow Bunting stands out in his division of the Tips Online From Insideracing.co.uk Maiden Stakes if the evidence of his only run as a juvenile can be trusted.

More misery as waterlogged Huntingdon is called off; racing

The juncoes are not nearly as polar or winter-hardy as the other "snowbird," the snow bunting. In winter, snow buntings are mottled gray and rust-color on top -- they have a rusty cap -- and white underneath with prominent white wing-patches.

The eclipsed season

ONE of Teesside's delightful winter visitors that you could bump into anywhere is the snow bunting.

GO WILDWITH ERIC PAYLOR

If you're heading farther east, nine Greenland White-fronted Geese are at Talacre, at least one Snow Bunting is on Kinmel Bay beach and a Hawfinch was at Nannerch on Monday.

/ The Llanddulas Glaucous gull [...]

Clockwise from the top right corner are a stunning close up of a swan sent in anonymously, a snow bunting perched on a rock by Anglesonian and Sharon Jones-Williams great snap of a heron among the reeds.

WATCH THE BIRDIE; Readers' pictures capture our feathered friends