Painted Bunting

Painted Bunting, male

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Painted Bunting, female, FL, May

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

With bright blue, green, and red plumage, the breeding male Painted Bunting is one of the continent's most gaudily colorful birds. The species breeds in two different populations, one in the south-central United States, and one along the seaboard of the southeastern states.

Description

• Small, bright finch.
• Male unmistakable with red chest, blue head, and green back.
• Female bright greenish yellow.

• Size: 12-13 cm (5-5 in)
• Weight: 13-19 g (0.46-0.67 ounces)

Sex Differences

Male brightly colored, female drabber and entirely green.

Sound

Song is high-pitched, thin, and sweet, consisting of short phrases of variable pitch. Call is a soft rising chip.

Conservation Status

Breeding Bird Survey data show a steady decline in overall population since 1965. Males are targets of trappers for the cage-bird trade, especially in Mexico. Listed as a species of special concern on the Partners in Flight WatchList.

Other Names

Passerin nonpareil, Bruant nonpareil (French)
Colorín sietecolores, Gorrión cabeziazul (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The western population of Painted Buntings begins its fall migration before molting, molts in staging areas in southern Arizona and northern Mexico, then continues to migrate further south. This migration-molt pattern is common among waterfowl but very rare among songbirds. In contrast to the western population, the eastern population of Painted Buntings molts on its breeding grounds before migration.

• Male Painted Buntings are highly territorial and aggressive toward each other. Fights between males, which include pecking, beating with wings, and grappling, sometimes result in death.

Sources used to construct this page:

Lowther, P. E., S. M. Lanyon, and C. W. Thompson. 1999. Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris).In The Birds of North America, No. 398 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.