Specimen of the Month: Arctic Wanderers

By guest contributor and Summer Naturalist Intern, Cade Campbell

Snow Buntings are some of the northernmost breeding birds in the world, and are deeply tied to the Arctic. They only appear in Wisconsin during the cold winter months, forced south from their summer refuge on the tundra. They depend mainly on one  snowflake-like wildflower, the seeds of Three-toothed Cinquefoil (Sibbaldiopsis tridentata) to fuel their winter survival in barrens, on lake beaches, open meadows and farm fields.

Three-toothed Cinquefoil (Sibbaldiopsis tridentata), which provides the seeds that Snow Buntings depend on for winter survival. Photo by Cade Campbell.

To camouflage themselves against the tundra soil, Snow Buntings have toasty brown patterns, thanks to delicate feather tips. As the brutal winter wears on, the rough, icy crust of snow wears these feather tips away and leaves the bird covered with vibrant, black-and-white contour feathers that match the new backdrop of unbroken snow.

Snow Bunting (Plectorphenax nivalis). Photo by Kim Selbee.