Birdsong field guide
McKay's Bunting
Plectrophenax hyperboreus
McKay's Bunting is a large, strikingly white arctic sparrow and one of the most range-restricted passerines in North America. It is a specialist of the Bering Sea, closely related to the more common Snow Bunting.
What it sounds like
A musical, high-pitched warble featuring clear whistles and trills, similar to the Snow Bunting but often described as more hurried.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
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Field notes
- It has one of the smallest breeding ranges of any North American bird, restricted almost entirely to St. Matthew and Hall Islands.
- Breeding males are nearly pure white, lacking the extensive black back feathers found in the closely related Snow Bunting.
- The species is named after Charles McKay, a young naturalist who drowned while collecting specimens for the Smithsonian in Alaska.
- They are cavity nesters, placing their eggs deep within rocky crevices or driftwood piles to shield them from harsh subarctic winds.
- During the winter, they migrate to the western coast of Alaska, where they often form mixed flocks with Snow Buntings.
Habitat
Remote maritime tundra, rocky coastal cliffs, and gravelly shingle beaches.
Range
Endemic to the Bering Sea; breeds on St. Matthew and Hall Islands and winters along the western Alaskan shoreline.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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