Snow Bunting
Snow BuntingSnow BuntingSnow BuntingSnow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Plectrophenax nivalis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Insufficient data
overall probability at Badlands National Park
1 Verified records at Badlands National Park
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) is a passerine bird in the family Calcariidae. It is an Arctic specialist, with a circumpolar Arctic breeding range throughout the northern hemisphere. There are small isolated populations on a few high mountain tops south of the Arctic region, including the Cairngorms in central Scotland and the Saint Elias Mountains on the southern Alaska-Yukon border, as well as the Cape Breton Highlands. The snow bunting is the most northerly recorded passerine in the world. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Badlands National Park

Chestnut-collared Longspur
VU

Chestnut-collared Longspur

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calcarius ornatus

<5% · Rare
Lapland Longspur
LC

Lapland Longspur

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calcarius lapponicus

Insufficient data
Western Meadowlark
LC

Western Meadowlark

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sturnella neglecta

90–100% · Very likely
Rock Wren
LC Endemic

Rock Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Salpinctes obsoletus

60–70% · Likely
Cliff Swallow
LC

Cliff Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

50–60% · Likely
Red-winged Blackbird
LC

Red-winged Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Agelaius phoeniceus

50–60% · Likely
Barn Swallow
LC

Barn Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hirundo rustica

50–60% · Likely
Horned Lark
LC Endemic

Horned Lark

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Eremophila alpestris

40–50% · Likely
Say's Phoebe
LC Endemic

Say's Phoebe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sayornis saya

40–50% · Likely
Lark Sparrow
LC

Lark Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chondestes grammacus

40–50% · Likely
Common Grackle
NT

Common Grackle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Quiscalus quiscula

40–50% · Likely
Black-billed Magpie
LC

Black-billed Magpie

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pica hudsonia

40–50% · Likely

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of Snow Bunting at Badlands National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
10–20%
2 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
3 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
4 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
5 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Thingvellir National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
<5%
9 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
<5%
11 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
12 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
<5%
13 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
14 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
15 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
16 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
<5%
17 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
18 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
19 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
20 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
21 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
22 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
23 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
Insufficient data
24 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
Insufficient data
25 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Insufficient data
26 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
27 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
28 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
29 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
30 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
31 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
32 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
Insufficient data
33 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
34 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
35 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
Insufficient data
36 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
37 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
38 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
39 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
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