WatchList Species Account for McKay’s Bunting (Plectrophenax hyperboreus)

Qualifies for the list as a Rare Yellow List Species

Photo: USFWS

McKay’s Bunting breeds on Hall and St. Matthew islands in the Bering Sea where the Snow Bunting does not breed. Ocassionally it breeds on two other Bering Sea islands, St. Lawrence and St. Paul. In the winter it is found on the western Alaska coast of the Bering Sea and on the coast of the Alaskan Peninsula. It occurs during migration and winter with flocks of its close congener, the Snow Bunting. Limited hybridization is recorded between the two species on St. Lawrence Island, where the Snow Bunting is a common breeder. It nests on vegetated and rocky tundra, most commonly on the coastal lowlands of its breeding islands. In winter it is found on coastal marshes, shingle beaches, and agricultural fields with exposed vegetation.

The total breeding area on Hall and St Matthew Islands is only about 300 km2 and the maximum population is about 2,800 individuals; even at the maximum density recorded for Snow Bunting, there would be only about 6,000 McKay’s Buntings at the start of the breeding season, and the true number is certainly smaller as not all habitat on the two islands is suitable. With its small numbers and restricted range, this species could be decimated by introduced rats, weasels or foxes.