snow bunting
A small passerine bird (Plectrophenax nivalis) that breeds in the Arctic and is a rare winter visitor to Japan.
I spotted a snow bunting on the coast of Hokkaido.
Katakana spelling is common for bird names; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare; the word is usually written in kana.
The name 雪頬白 (yuki hōjiro) literally means 'snow bunting', combining 雪 (snow) with 頬白 (meadow bunting, Emberiza cioides), referring to its white plumage and bunting-like appearance.