Snow Bunting - Plectrophenax nivalis

Snow Bunting has a partial preformative molt and no prealternate molts. However, as feather tips wear off over time, such that overall appearance is quite different between fall/winter and spring/summer. Molt limits are subtle in this species, and age-related differences in plumage are somewhat more subtle in females. Sex of most individuals is easily determined by plumage.

Quick tips

• Check the shape of the rectrices - on FCF (HY/SY) birds they are narrow and pointed while on DCB (AHY/ASY) birds they tend to be more broad and rounded.
• Look at the primary coverts - on DCB (AHY/ASY) males they are entirely white or with only small black spots near the tips, on FCF (HY/SY) males they tend to be white with blackish tips, occasionally extending up the shaft, on DCB (AHY/ASY) females the tips are dark but inner webs are largely white, and on FCF (HY/SY) females they are largely blackish with white limited to the upper inner webs.
• Examine the median coverts, which are largely white on males and black (sometimes with white borders) on females.

Species account prepared by McGill Bird Observatory (2018). Last updated by Marcel Gahbauer (Mar 2022)