Snow Bunting

Plectrphenax nivalis

Local Winter visitors of 11,000 birds in Britain & a very rare breeder in Scotland of 50-100 pairs.

Breeds in Iceland, Spitsbergen, Norway & Northern North America. 

Also winters in Southern Europe & the Southern USA.

Females and Males have different plumage; during the breeding season, the Male is white with black wingtips and a black back, while the Female has black wingtips and the black feathers on the back fringed with brown.

During the winter, they both have broad orangey-brown fringes on the back feathers.

Juveniles are greyer than the Adults.

The call is a distinctive rippling whistle, per,r,r,rit, and the song is a brief but loud warble hudidi feet feet feew hudidi.