Take a look at this bird hidden in some brush in Connecticut this week. Any clue as to what it may be?
Let me assure you that it is in there! In the center you’ll find a bird that you should be able to get a relative sense of size for. Think of the season and time of year, mid-March. What could be lurking in Connecticut feeding on seeds on the ground? That narrows the field.
You should be able to see it is white, brown, and black. There’s a chance you may see the orange-yellow bill obscured by some of the brush.
I will add that this was one of well over one hundred individuals of the same species feeding in one flock. These birds are headed back to the north to breed far from Connecticut.
Here’s the same bird having emerged and standing near some of its name.
That’s a Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis). They are moving across the region now, and if you’re looking to see some keep an eye on weedy fields, roadsides with exposed grass, beaches with vegetation, airport grounds and other open, flat areas with space to feed. Migration is really getting underway!
Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Photos © Scott Kruitbosch
