410 
PASSERIFORMES 
Distinctions. The smallest of the longspurs (wing 3 -25 or under). The spring male 
is unmistakable, with cream throat and face, black breast and underparts. The Lapland 
Longspur has a similar chestnut collar, but has black throat and is white beneath. The 
latter is, however, only a migrant through southern Canada, instead of a summer resident. 
In summer, needs to be separated only from McCown’s Longspur, which is larger and 
has a white throat, face, and underparts, and a crescentic black gorget across the breast. 
Females are light ashy grey, softly striped above and nearly uniform below, like those of 
the Chestnut-collared, but are decidedly whiter, being ashy rather than ochreish. Females 
and juveniles are best distinguished from other longspurs by smaller size. 
Field Marks. Adult male: a small sparrow with creamy throat, black breast and 
underparts. Females: best distinguished in life by association with male, but separated 
from Vesper Sparrow, which may be similar in general colour effect, by much more white 
on sides of tail, two and a half or more feathers white, instead of little more than one, the 
area of white increasing towards the base of tail (Figure 488), instead of an even border; 
from McCown’s Longspur by having less white in tail, all the tail of the latter, except a 
terminal band and centre feathers, being white (Compare with Figure 485). The Chest- 
nut-collared, in common with McCown’s, has a very pretty flight song that is given when 
the wings are extended high over the back, as it slowly drops from a height. 
Nesting. On the ground on the open prairie; nest of grasses and rootlets. 
Distribution. Great Plains region of North America. In Canada, all of the prairie 
section. A casual straggler in British Columbia. 
In many parts of the prairies, especially the more arid sections, one of 
the commonest and most characteristic birds. In the bright spring and 
early summer days, its beautiful twittering flight song, repeated on every 
hand by many rival birds, gives a delightful air of gladness to the awaken- 
ing prairies. 
534. Snow Bunting, snowflake, le rhuant des neiges (L’Oiseau blanc). 
Plectrophenax nivalis. L, 6-88. Plate LXXXVII. A medium-sized sparrow, showing 
much white. In breeding plumage, assumed only on the nesting grounds in the Arctic 
regions, almost immaculate white with black saddle across shoulders. Flight and tail 
feathers black, with almost equal areas white. As they visit lower latitudes, however, 
they are heavily veiled over head and throat with rusty, and the black feathers are all 
edged with rusty ochre and white. 
Distinctions. Sharply contrasting black and white colouring with most of the feathers 
heavily bordered with rusty, especially on the head, back, and breast-band. Through 
the winter the rusty borders gradually wear off and the breeding plumage of black and 
white results without moult. The general scheme of colouring of the Snow Bunting is 
found in no other Canadian bird. 
Field Marks. Very white, gregarious ground sparrows showing large amounts of 
white on black wings when flying. 
Nesting. On the ground in moss, nest of grass, rootlets, and moss lined with feathers 
and fur. 
Distribution. Circumpolar Arctics. In Canada, breeding from the edge of barren 
grounds northward across the continent. In migration, throughout Canada. 
SUBSPECIES. Only one of the two recognized subspecies, the Common Snow 
Bunting (le Bruant des neiges commun) Plectrophenax nivalis nivalis, is known to occur 
in Canada. 
Winter visitors in southern Canada, feeding on the weed-tops that 
project from the snow in open fields and rarely perching in trees. A flock 
alights in the weed-spotted snow and gradually works across it, the rear 
of the flock rising up from time to time like a flurry of snow and pitching 
ahead, the process being repeated until the whole field has been gone over. 
