Ever been to Greenland? No? Neither have we, yet! And more than likely, neither have most people in Maine. But it's possible that one of the little birds that birders throughout the state have been reporting this week may have come from this far-off place of Viking legend.

We are talking about snow buntings, a small, ground-loving bird that, in its North American range, nests in the High Arctic and migrates south to southern Canada and the northern United States.

It also nests in the Russian Arctic and winters in northern Europe and Asia. Here in Maine we know them as late-fall arrivals that are likely to be seen along the shores of lakes and the ocean or in weedy fields in small groups. Later in the winter they amass into flocks that can sometimes number even into the hundreds in harvested corn fields, especially where manure has been spread and the birds can find undigested seeds from the manure or other seeds in the fields.

Snow buntings are roughly the size of a House Sparrow, and it is amazing how difficult it can be to spot even a large flock of them when they are feeding on the ground. In the winter they are a mosaic of rust, black, and white, which makes them blend into the irregular patterns of dark and light on the ground where they spend most of their time.

But when they fly, the large patch of white on the wings flashes and a large flock gives the impression of a cloud of swirling snowflakes. These large flocks are most likely to be seen in places with lots of large open fields, usually in farming regions.

In Midcoast Maine, you're more likely to find small groups of 5-20 birds feeding on the upper part of a sandy or cobble beach in areas with short grasses or other vegetation, where there may be seeds on which they can feed.

Although they have a variety of calls, one is a short descending whistled "tew." A whole flock of snow buntings giving these and other calls has a delightful tinkling sound.

Unfortunately, analyses of Christmas Bird Count data indicate a 60 percent decline of snow buntings in North America over the last 40 years. The reasons behind the decline are not well understood.

It is hard to believe but banding research has shown that many of the snow buntings that occur in the northeastern U.S. and Maritime Canada make the long trek every year to nest in Greenland — that's as long or longer than flying to Florida!

Although those of us in this part of Maine have yet to see our first snow, our snow buntings have arrived. So if you happen to be in the right place, keep an eye out for that swirl of tinkling snowflakes.