JACKSON, Wyo. — It’s well-established that some birds fly south to warm up for the winter: many seek the sun in California and Texas, or even Mexico and South America. But the snow bunting has come to Jackson Hole for its tropical vacation.
Snow buntings were spotted on the National Elk Refuge (NER), and have been seen in the valley in past winters. According to the NER, they fly down from the arctic tundra of Alaska and Canada.
“They sometimes have been called ‘Snowflakes,’ and flocks of snow buntings may seem like snowflakes as they swirl through the air and then settle on winter fields,” the National Audubon Society writes on its website. “South of the Arctic these are strictly winter birds, arriving in late fall, generally departing at the first signs of spring. In summer they retire to barren northern tundra, with some breeding on the northernmost islands of Canada and the mountains of Greenland.”
These birds can be seen foraging for seeds and insects in flocks, walking or running along the ground.
The NER has hosted eye-catching species this season. In addition to the buntings, keep an eye out for the northern harrier flying close to the ground, and of course for the show-stopping piebald elk.
