Snow Bunting: Bullfinches are tropical birds compared to them. Settles so deep in the north as no land bird can (8 photos)

Bunting. Perhaps the bird you see in the photo is the best personification of this word. But the bird also has more brutal names. They describe his harsh Nordic nature much more accurately - the Arctic sparrow, or snow plantain. True, you can’t put something like that on a sore spot if you’re not a polar explorer. Despite its charming appearance, the snow bunting is a walrus from the world of birds.





While all normal birds spend the winter in the south, these frostbitten ones travel through central Eurasia and North America. In winter! Yes, bullfinches are tropical birds compared to them. The snow bunting flies to nest at the very pole, where there are bears, walruses and that’s all. The baby settles so far in the north as no other land bird can.



Naturally, when you are the size of a sparrow, surviving Dubachello at -40 is quite a quest. And to get through it, snow plantains stay in large flocks. Groups of birds do not sit still, but constantly tour the snow-covered fields - this way it is easier to find food and you can warm up faster. And if the frost becomes teeth-crushing even for a polar explorer bird, the bird buries itself in the snow, like a Chukchi in an igloo.





For the most part, snow buntings feed on plant foods, so they are especially attracted to agricultural fields and summer cottages.

But harsh lands give rise to harsh morals - harsh hazing reigns among the charming birds: the elders bully the younger ones, and the males bully the females. Only spring can melt the ice in the hearts of the stern sparrows.



A very serious lump of ice cream with chocolate topping.

Birds arrive for nesting in April. The males appear first - the oldest and most experienced ones post behind them the best holes, slits and other openings that are suitable for a nest. The owner gets rid of the remaining applicants for living space through a magical kick - the birds are extremely jealous of property, because the health of the offspring depends on its quality.



An argument over a hole in a rock has never looked so epic.

Females arrive in May. By this time, the males have already changed their nondescript plumage to a mating black and white outfit and are ready to win the hearts of the ladies with serenades. If the tackle is successful, the girl bunting and the boy bunting form a pair. They will build a nest and raise offspring together - there is no other way in the north.



Female, come!

As you might guess, even in spring it’s not hot at the North Pole - God forbid the thermometer rises to zero. But as soon as this happens, the couple will immediately start having children.

I don't know what kind of eggs a creature the size of a sparrow would have to have to raise chicks under such conditions. But ornithologists know that they are greenish with red-brown speckles. This is exactly what a bunting's clutch looks like.



Arctic sparrows hide their nests in rock crevices, away from frost and wind. Until the chicks hatch, the female will constantly warm the eggs - otherwise the babies will die in frost. And so that the young mother herself does not die from cold and hunger, the male brings her treats. In the north there is no time for sentimentality, so the childhood of snow buntings flies by quickly: 2 weeks for incubation, another 2 for feeding, and now, new members of the Arctic society, numbering from 2 to 5, are already ready!



What does this story teach us? If you want something, don't look for excuses, just do it. The Arctic sparrow wants to lay its eggs in some of the most extreme conditions on the planet. If such strange dreams are fulfilled by a bird the size of your palm, then you will probably succeed too!