Snow Bunting Nest
Plectrophenax nivalis

f3.5 @ 1/640s, ISO:800, Nikon D300 w 17-55mm @ 55mm

\"Snow Bunting,\" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Snow buntings have a monogamous behavior in which the males have a positive impact in the reproductive success of the female, although they are not essential to the survival of the nestling. The male will follow the female during her fertile period to make sure that she will not mate with any other male. The nest sites provide safety but bring other challenges to snow buntings, since in rock cracks and fissures the microclimate could be harsh, the incubation time might be longer for this species and there is a risk that the lower temperatures kill the embryo. To overcome this challenge, the male will bring food to the female during the incubation time, in this way she will be able to constantly control the temperatures of the nest microclimate improving the hatching success and reducing the incubation time. This passerine lays eggs as soon as the ambient temperature is above 0 degrees Celsius. The eggs are blue-green, spotted brown, and hatch in 12–13 days, and the young are already ready to fly after a further 12–14 days.

Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada

07/01/2011