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McKay's Bunting
last update: Mar 25, 2009 02:53 PM
Latin name: Plectrophenax hyperboreus
Population: 6,000 individuals
Cites classified: Near Threatened
Where found: Bering Sea islands
Age/ life expectancy: 4 years
Wingspan: 34-40 cm
Length: 16-19 cm
Weight: 45 g
Mating/Breeding: Nests on shingle beaches in hollow drift logs and rock crevices. See the Snow Bunting for more detail.
Eggs: 4-6 cream eggs, speckled or blotched red or black
Hibernation: migrates to the western coast of Alaska in the winter
Hunting Habits: forages on the ground and occasionally on low branches
Feed on: mainly seeds, but also invertebrates in the breeding season
Predators: none currently but vulnerable to introduced mammalian predators such as rats, foxes, and weasels
Colour/Body: This species closely resembles Snow Bunting in all plumages, but is whiter overall. The breeding plumage of the male is almost purely white, with only small areas of black on the wingtips and tail. The breeding female has a streaked back. Non-breeding birds also have warm brown patches on cheeks, crown, and the the sides of the neck.
