McKay’s Bunting
McKay's Bunting
Plectrophenax hyperboreus
At a Glance
Few birders ever get to see this whitest of North American songbirds on its main nesting grounds, remote St. Matthew and Hall Islands in the Bering Sea. During many summers, however, a few McKay's Buntings appear on St. Lawrence Island or the Pribilofs, sites more easily visited. On those islands a McKay's Bunting may interbreed with a local Snow Bunting, as the two species apparently are very closely related.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
New World Sparrows, Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Tundra and Boreal Habitats
Region
Alaska and The North
Behavior
Direct Flight, Flitter, Running
Population
31.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Winter status on the islands where it breeds is poorly known; most may migrate to west coast of Alaska in fall. Only a casual to accidental stray farther south.
Description
Sexes similar — Length: 7-8 in (18-20 cm); wingspan: 12-13 in (30-33 cm); weight: 1.1-1.8 oz (30-50 g). The McKay's Bunting is similar to Snow Bunting, but much whiter, with very limited black in wings and tail. Similar birds away from Alaska may be albino sparrows.
Size
About the size of a Robin, About the size of a Sparrow
Color
Black, Brown, Tan, White
Wing Shape
Pointed
Tail Shape
Notched, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
A loud warbling song reminiscent of that of the American Goldfinch. Call is a musical rattle.
Call Pattern
Undulating
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, Rattle, Warble, Whistle
Habitat
Tundra, barrens, shores. Probably breeds in most available habitats in its very limited range, including open tundra with numerous rocky outcrops, stony beaches, and rocky scree slopes with little vegetation. Winters mostly on coastal beaches and low tundra near the shore.
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Behavior
Eggs
The McKay's Bunting generally lays 3-5 eggs, rarely as many as 7. The eggs are pale green, dotted with pale brown. Incubation poorly known; probably similar to Snow Bunting, but it is possible that male may help incubate.
Young
Probably fed by both parents, and probably leave nest about 10-17 days after hatching, as in the Snow Bunting.
Feeding Behavior
Forages while walking and running on the ground, picking up items from the ground or from plants. Except when nesting, usually forages in flocks.
Diet
The diet of a McKay's Bunting is not known in detail, but undoubtedly feeds on many insects (and some spiders) in summer, mainly or entirely on seeds in winter. Along shorelines, may also eat tiny crustaceans or other marine life.
Nesting
Nesting behavior is not well known, but probably similar to that of Snow Bunting. In display on breeding grounds, may sing while flying in a wide circle. Nest site is usually in some protected cavity, such as a deep crevice in cliff, among or underneath rocks, or inside hollowed-out pieces of driftwood; these secure sites may be chosen for protection from Arctic foxes. Nest is a shallow cup of grass, lined with finer grasses.
Conservation
Conservation Status
The total McKay's Bunting population is no more than a few thousand. Could be seriously threatened if rats or other predators were introduced to its nesting islands.
