snow bunting

American  

noun

1. a bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis, of the northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere having white plumage.

---

snow bunting British  

noun

1. a bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis, of northern and arctic regions, having a white plumage with dark markings on the wings, back, and tail

---

Etymology

Origin of snow bunting

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

The result teemed with surprises: A snow bunting perched on the rig and sang.

From New York Times

Scotland is home to Arctic specialists - birds like dotterel, snow bunting and ptarmigan - which are found high on Scotland's mountains.

From BBC

Among those difficult to find were the horned lark, snow bunting and Lapland longspur.

From Washington Times

On a smaller scale, the two Scandinavian thrush species, redwings and fieldfares, are starting to arrive, and they will be joined by other charming northern songbirds, such as bramblings and snow buntings.

From The Guardian

The herders watch the birds, the snow buntings and ptarmigans, the ravens and bluethroats.

From Scientific American