Habitat
Breeding populations restricted to Hall and St. Matthew islands in the Bering Sea. Breeds on vegetated and rocky tundra, apparently most common on coastal lowlands of breeding islands (Lyon and Montgomerie 1995). Nests in crevices in rocks on open rocky ground, on beaches (in old hollow drift logs), and on shores of tundra pools; few nests ever observed (Terres 1980, AOU 1983). Non-breeding habitat is open tundra and rocky or sandy areas, coastal marshes, and on fields or anywhere that exposed vegetation is present (AOU 1983; Lyon and Montgomerie 1995).
References
AOU. 1983. Check-list of North American birds. 6th ed.American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington D. C.
Lyon, B. and Montgomerie, R. 1995. Snow bunting and McKay’s bunting. In: A. Poole and F. Gill, eds. The Birds of N. America, No. 198-199. The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. 28 pp.
Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY.
