A breath of the Arctic
THE snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) is the world’s most northerly breeding land bird. Here is a passerine – by definition a perching bird – which spends most of its time in a tree-less terrain, amidst a desolate landscape, feeding on the ground, tunnelling in the snow for shelter and roosting among rocks.
To withstand temperatures of minus 40°C, it has dense contour plumage and – unlike most other passerines – feathered legs (tarsi). Possessing longer, more pointed wings than similar bunting-type birds enables it to glide efficiently in the windswept Arctic landscape. The contrast between its winter and summer plumage is more pronounced than in any other passerine. Having said that, in any season it can be identified by its large white wing patches and, when flying overhead, by its white under-wing coverts. The rusty
