The painted bunting is a small, colorful songbird found in the southern United States. Identifying a painted bunting requires looking at several key characteristics including its size, colors, beak shape, range, habitat, behavior, song, and timing.
What does a painted bunting look like?
Painted buntings are sparrow-sized birds, measuring about 5-6 inches in length. They have short, conical beaks perfect for eating seeds. The males are unmistakable with their brightly colored plumage in hues of blue, green, yellow, and red. Females and juveniles have green upperparts and yellow-green underparts. All painted buntings have dark, thin eyerings.
Males
Adult males are often described as looking like tropical birds with their brilliant jewel-toned feathers. Their heads are blue, their backs are green, their rumps are red, and their underparts are red and purple. When flying, the males’ bright red rump patches and under-tail coverts are easily visible.
Females
Females are a more subdued light green on top and yellowish-green on the underside with dark streaking. The green hues help camouflage the females against the vegetation when they are caring for the nest. Females lack any bright red, blue, or purple feathers.
Juveniles
Juvenile painted buntings resemble adult females but with buffy streaking on the undertail coverts and belly. Juvenile males start growing colorful feathers on their heads and rumps around their first fall. It takes until their second spring to acquire their full colorful adult plumage.
Where is the painted bunting’s range?
Painted buntings live along the southern Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States, as well as parts of southwestern Arizona. They breed and spend their summers primarily across the Southeastern states from North Carolina down into Florida and over to Texas and Oklahoma. Northern populations of painted buntings migrate back south to Mexico and Central America for the winter.
Breeding Range
The painted bunting’s breeding range extends from eastern Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina south through peninsular Florida.
Winter Range
In the fall, most painted buntings other than those in South Florida migrate to the coasts of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean islands. They spend the winter there before returning back to the U.S. to breed in spring.
What habitats do painted buntings prefer?
Painted buntings thrive in the bright, open spaces provided by both forest edges and agricultural areas. They tend to avoid dense, dark forest interiors. Some key habitat types include:
- Overgrown fields
- Forest clearings
- Forest edges
- Open woodlands
- Fencerows
- Farmland
- Residential areas
- Pine savannas
- Palm groves
They forage in shrubs and grasses for seeds and insects. Dense shrubs also provide nesting sites. Having some taller trees helps provide better visibility of predators.
What is interesting painted bunting behavior?
Painted buntings exhibit some interesting behaviors both in their social interactions and when responding to threats.
Socially
- Males are fiercely territorial and defend their breeding grounds from other males with chasing and fighting.
- Outside of the breeding season, painted buntings form large mixed-gender foraging flocks up to 30-40 birds.
- Pairs often remain together from one breeding season to the next.
- Pairs engage in elaborate courtship rituals involving the male flying in loops above the female while singing.
When threatened
- Painted buntings freeze and flatten themselves against the substrate to avoid detection.
- If approached too closely, they dive quickly into thick bushes.
- The males may protect eggs and young by performing distraction displays, spreading wings and tail and fluttering on the ground.
What does the painted bunting’s call sound like?
The painted bunting has a lovely, cheerful song made up of quick phrases of two or three notes. It is faster and more melodic than other similar-sized birds like sparrows. To hear the painted bunting’s song and calls, check out this video:
Song
Sings a high-pitched, lively song made up of short varied phrases like “beedle-dee-dee” and “sweet, pretty, little-fifty.” The song speeds up towards the end.
Call
Common calls include a metallic “chip,” “pink,” or “spink” and a high, descending “seet.”
When and where can you see painted buntings?
The best opportunities to spot painted buntings are during their breeding season at preferred habitats in the Southeastern U.S. Here are some tips:
Breeding season
The peak breeding season lasts from around April to August. Males are most brightly colored and vocal during courtship in spring and early summer.
Nesting areas
Search for painted buntings in shrubby disturbed areas near forest edges. Listen and watch for the males singing from high perches.
Foraging grounds
Look for mixed foraging flocks after breeding season in overgrown fields with seed-producing grasses and shrubs.
Migration
Painted buntings migrate through the Southeastern states in April and May and again in September and October as they return south for winter.
Winter range
From November to March, look for painted buntings wintering along the coasts of Mexico, Central America, and South Florida.
How can you attract painted buntings?
You can make your yard more attractive to breeding and migrating painted buntings with these tips:
- Plant native seed-producing grasses and shrubs like millet, ragweed, and blackberry.
- Provide dense, thorny shrubs for nesting 3-10 feet high.
- Include taller trees for perches and predator spotting.
- Supply feeders with millet and niger thistle seeds.
- Provide fresh water in a ground birdbath or water feature.
- Avoid the use of pesticides.
Painted Bunting or Blue Grosbeak?
One bird the painted bunting is sometimes confused with is the blue grosbeak. Here is a handy comparison:
Feature | Painted Bunting | Blue Grosbeak |
---|---|---|
Overall Size and Shape | Small, stout, large rounded head, short conical bill | Chunky, large heavy bill |
Male Plumage | Red underparts, blue head, green back, red rump | Mostly blue with some reddish-brown streaks |
Female Plumage | Green above, yellowish below with streaks | Brown overall with white wingbars |
Song | Short, varied, melodious phrases | Musical warbling ending in harsh buzz |
Conclusion
Painted buntings are one of the most brilliantly colored birds in North America. They can be identified by their unique colorful plumage in shades of blue, green, red, and purple on the males and green and yellow on the females. Their stout shape, conical bill, vocalizations, range in the Southeastern U.S., and preferred habitats of forest edges and scrubby open areas are also key identification clues. With a little effort, observers can find these gorgeous birds by listening and looking in the right habitats during spring and summer.