McKay's Bunting
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The McKay's Bunting, (Plectrophenax hyperboreus), is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a family now separated by most modern authors from the finches Fringillidae. It is most closely related to the Snow Bunting P. nivalis. The two species hybridise occasionally.
It breeds on a few islands in the Bering Sea, and winters on the southwest coast of the U.S. state of Alaska.
The population of this species is estimated at less than 6,000 individuals. Although under no immediate threat, it is susceptible to devastation by any introduced rats, weasels or foxes.
The name of this bird honours the American naturalist Charles McKay.
References
- BirdLife International (2004). [Plectrophenax hyperboreus]. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is near threatened
External links
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