Painted Bunting

Painted Bunting, Male (Passerina ciris)

These Painted Buntings (Passerina ciris) are only temporary visitors in this part of Florida.   They're migrating to summer breeding grounds in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana from their winter home in South Florida.

Painted Bunting preparing to land on bird feeder (male).

These are the most spectacularly colored of all North American songbirds.  There are two distinct breeding populations of Painted Buntings in North America both of which have shown significant decline across their range during the past 35 years.  Although the exact cause of Painted Bunting's decline is not known, it is most likely due to habitat loss and indiscriminate hunting.

Painted Bunting (female) prepares to land on bird feeder.

The Audubon Society's Important Bird Area program is a vital tool for the conservation of Painted Buntings as well as other species.  To learn more about the Important Bird Areas program and how you can help, visit:

Important Bird Areas Program

Painted Bunting (female).

The Painted Bunting's diet consists primarily of seeds and insects, with insects predominating during the mating season.  They forage on the ground or in low brush.

These seem quite happy on this secluded bird feeder.

The birds are quite small, measuring between 4.7 and 5.1 inches (12-13 cm) 

and weighting only about 1/2 ounce (13-19 g).

A pair of males sparring for the same spot of the feeder.

Breeding Bird Survey data from 1996 to 2000 show a significant decline of 2.7% annually for Painted Buntings across their North American breeding range.

I can report that while I spend many hours a day outside I have very rarely come across this once plentiful species.

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Phillip's Natural World 3.0