If I said the McKay’s Bunting is the only passerine species endemic to Alaska, you may wonder what language I’m speaking. Welcome to Field Notes. I’m Rob MacDonald, a Wildlife Biologist with the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.

Endemic means something is native to or limited to a certain region. And passerines are the group of birds we call perching birds and songbirds. The McKay’s Bunting is a songbird that is definitely limited to a certain region. The McKay’s Bunting has a summer breeding range restricted to St. Matthew Island and Hall Island in the Bering Sea. This is an area of only 100 square miles. In winter, the McKay’s Bunting is found along the Bering Sea coast from St. Michael to Nushagak Bay, Nunivak Island, and along the Alaska Peninsula to Cold Bay. The estimated breeding population is only 2,800 - 6,000 birds. This bird breeds on tundra coastal lowlands and winters on beaches, open tundra, or other areas of exposed vegetation.

The McKay’s Bunting is a close relative to the Snow Bunting. It was named after Charles McKay of the U.S. Army, who was a pioneer collector of Alaskan birds for the U.S. National Museum. Other names are the Snowflake and McKay’s Snow Bunting.

The McKay’s Bunting is mostly white except for some black on its inner wing, black wing tips, and black tips of the central tail feathers. The similar-looking Snow Bunting shows much more black on the back and more black on the tail and wings.

The McKay’s Bunting has a tiny range, a tiny population, and prefers low coastal areas vulnerable to disturbances. Because of this, it is listed as a species of conservation priority in the Western and Southwestern Biogeographic Regions of Alaska.

McKay’s Buntings are sometimes seen in flocks of Snow Buntings. In the Dillingham area, Snow Buntings are frequently seen around the airport and along Nushagak Bay. So the next time you see these Snow Buntings, take a moment to look for any McKay’s Buntings that may be in the flock. You just might see Alaska’s only endemic passerine bird species. For Field Notes, I’m Rob MacDonald.