Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalis
Silhouette: Lauren McLean · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCalcariidae (Longspurs and Snow Buntings)
- GenusPlectrophenax (Snow and McKay's Buntings)
- SpeciesPlectrophenax nivalis (Snow Bunting)
About the Snow Bunting
The snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) is a passerine bird in the family Calcariidae. It is an Arctic specialist, with a circumpolar Arctic breeding range throughout the northern hemisphere. There are small isolated populations on a few high mountain tops south of the Arctic region, including the Cairngorms in central Scotland and the Saint Elias Mountains on the southern Alaska-Yukon border, as well as the Cape Breton Highlands. The snow bunting is the most northerly recorded passerine in the world.
The snow bunting was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with the buntings in the genus Emberiza and coined the binomial name Emberiza nivalis. He specified the locality as Lapland. It is now placed in the genus Plectrophenax, described in 1882 by the Norwegian born zoologist Leonhard Stejneger with the snow bunting as the type species. The genus name Plectrophenax is from Ancient Greek plektron, "cock's spur", and phenax "imposter", and the specific nivalis is Latin for "snow-white".
The snow bunting was formerly classified in the family Emberizidae, which included American sparrows... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Snow Bunting in Cairngorms National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Cairngorms National Park
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebs
European Robin
Erithacus rubecula
Coal Tit
Periparus ater
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleus
Great Tit
Parus major
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinus
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytes
Eurasian Blackbird
Turdus merula
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilus
Carrion Crow
Corvus corone
Goldcrest
Regulus regulus
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensis
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 2 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Thingvellir National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 7 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 9 | Kenai Fjords National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 11 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 13 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 14 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Hortobágy National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 16 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 17 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 18 | Wood Buffalo National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 19 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 20 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 21 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 22 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 23 | Tatra National Park | 🇸🇰 Slovakia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Snow Bunting in Cairngorms National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Snow Bunting sighting in Cairngorms National Park, based on 259 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Snow Bunting in Cairngorms National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Snow Bunting in Cairngorms National Park in our monthly data.