Snow buntings are among the most northerly nesting songbirds on Earth, breeding on open Arctic tundra and rocky ground, with welfare implications from rapid climate-driven habitat change.
Snow buntings face welfare challenges across their annual cycle that are being intensified by climate change. On breeding grounds, earlier snowmelt can either benefit or harm breeding success depending on how insect emergence timing shifts relative to chick hatching. Extreme late snowfall events during incubation can cause nest failure and egg chilling stress. Male buntings enduring sub-zero temperatures in early spring face severe cold stress with limited food availability. On wintering grounds, exposure to pesticide-treated grain causes poisoning. As generalist tundra specialists, snow buntings may have limited capacity to adapt their timing to the rate of Arctic climate change currently underway.