Male McKay's Bunting Foraging on Snow
Detailed Description
The McKay's Bunting (Plectrophenax hyperboreus) is endemic to the Bering Sea Region and only breeds on St. Matthew Island. Designated as a species of high conservation concern due to its small population size, surveys show that the species has continued to decline since the initial survey effort in 2003.
Sources/Usage
Public Domain.
Photo taken by Laura McDuffie, U.S. Geological Survey.
Related Content
Landbird Research in Alaska
On this page, learn about USGS work on Beak Deformities and Boreal Partners in Flight.
Data for Estimating McKay's Bunting (Plectrophenax hyperboreus) Population Change on St. Matthew and Hall Islands, Alaska
This dataset consists of three tables relating to (1) detections of adult McKay's Buntings from line transect with distance estimation surveys on St. Matthew and Hall islands in Alaska between May 30 and June 29, 2003 and June 6 and 11, 2018, (2) environmental covariates associated with detections of adult McKay's Buntings in less than or equal to 250-m long contiguous transect segments, and (3) e
Further information on the avifauna of St. Matthew and Hall Islands, Bering Sea, Alaska
In June and July 2018 and July 2019 we surveyed birds on St.
Matthew and Hall islands, isolated in the central Bering Sea. Our surveys were
focused on the McKay’s Bunting (Plectrophenax hyperboreus), Rock Sandpiper
(Calidris ptilocnemis ptilocnemis), and Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus)
but encompassed all birds and yielded 13 species and four subspecies new to the
islands’ avifaunal li
Authors
Bryce W. Robinson, Jack J. Withrow, Rachel M. Richardson, Steven M. Matsuoka, Robert E. Gill, Andrew S. Johnson, Irby J. Lovette, James A. Johnson, Anthony R. DeGange, Marc D. Romano
Related Content
Landbird Research in Alaska
On this page, learn about USGS work on Beak Deformities and Boreal Partners in Flight.
Data for Estimating McKay's Bunting (Plectrophenax hyperboreus) Population Change on St. Matthew and Hall Islands, Alaska
This dataset consists of three tables relating to (1) detections of adult McKay's Buntings from line transect with distance estimation surveys on St. Matthew and Hall islands in Alaska between May 30 and June 29, 2003 and June 6 and 11, 2018, (2) environmental covariates associated with detections of adult McKay's Buntings in less than or equal to 250-m long contiguous transect segments, and (3) e
Further information on the avifauna of St. Matthew and Hall Islands, Bering Sea, Alaska
In June and July 2018 and July 2019 we surveyed birds on St.
Matthew and Hall islands, isolated in the central Bering Sea. Our surveys were
focused on the McKay’s Bunting (Plectrophenax hyperboreus), Rock Sandpiper
(Calidris ptilocnemis ptilocnemis), and Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus)
but encompassed all birds and yielded 13 species and four subspecies new to the
islands’ avifaunal li
Authors
Bryce W. Robinson, Jack J. Withrow, Rachel M. Richardson, Steven M. Matsuoka, Robert E. Gill, Andrew S. Johnson, Irby J. Lovette, James A. Johnson, Anthony R. DeGange, Marc D. Romano