summer male

summer male winter female European distribution summer male on post

Identification

Lapland Buntings are most distinctive in summer plumage, especially the males with their black, white and chestnut heads. In winter though they could easily be mistaken for Reed Buntings but notice the two white wing bars sandwiching an obvious rusty-red wing patch and the black eye standing out in a plain face, with a black surround to the pale ear coverts. The yellow bill and bigger, more lark-like proportions are also useful. Winter males additionally have a rusty nape and black speckles across the breast.

Habitat

Breeds on sparsely vegetated mountain tops and tundra. Winters in coastal stubble fields and saltmarshes.

Behaviour

The song is often given during a spectacular parachuting song-flight not unlike that of a Tree Pipit.

Migration

European birds winter in southern Russia and the Ukraine. Some birds, however, will winter along the east coast of Britain. and along the coasts from Denmark to Brittany. In some years Britain also receives influxes from Greenland and it is probably these which sometimes stay to breed.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Lapland Bunting is classed as Local: generally fairly regular or common species that a 'county lister' or a birding beginner might be interested in going to see. (Note that rarity levels are currently applied nationally and may not reflect local variations in abundance.)

Fort Island, IOM 01/09/2010	Bridges of Ross, Clare 27/08/2010	undisc. site, Norfolk 31/08/2010	Fort Island, IOM 31/08/2010	undisc. site, Norfolk 31/08/2010
undisc. site, Norfolk 31/08/2010	Scatness, Shetland 28/08/2010	Scatness, Shetland 28/08/2010	Blakeney Pt, Norfolk 27/08/2010	Bridges of Ross, Clare 29/08/2010

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Lapland Bunting breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Finland
Greenland
Norway
Russia
Sweden

http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob18470.htm   BTO BirdFacts: Lapland Bunting	Edit this link
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	BTO: French Lapland Bunting pitches up in Wales	Sunday 30th December 2007
	The BTO Ringing Unit have just received details of their first ever foreign ringing recovery of a Lapland Bunting   read on

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