Snow Bunting

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Mountain tops; coastal beaches (winter).
Diet: Seeds.
Best time to spot: Blizzard-like winter flocks.

When to look

A winter visitor, typically in the UK from October through to March. Numbers peak in January. See the January birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Snow Bunting sits in our Rare tier for the UK: scarce or very local, so most birders need a planned trip. It is Amber-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the middle level of concern in the UK. It is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so it is an offence to disturb it at or near the nest. We blur the location of every sighting of this species.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Lapland BuntingRare · Coastal stubbles (winter)
• Greater ScaupRare · Coastal bays (winter)
• Horned Lark (Shore Lark)Rare · Coastal saltmarsh (winter)
• Long-tailed DuckRare · Coastal seas (winter)
• Red-necked GrebeRare · Coastal seas (winter)
• Rough-legged BuzzardRare · Coastal grassland (winter)

Kit that helps

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