Warblers, Sparrows, Finches & Blackbirds
Painted Bunting
Passerina ciris
Possibly the most colorful bird in North America. The male looks painted with every color in the box, while the female is a bright, uniform green.
How to identify it
- Male: bright blue head, red underparts and lime-green back
- Female and young: bright green above, yellow-green below
- Short, thick finch-like bill
- Often hides in dense shrubs
SizeAbout the size of a Song Sparrow
Carolina Chickadee4 in
Painted Bunting5 in
Song Sparrow6 in
American Robin10 in
6 inAverage length, bill to tail
Details
- Size
- 5–5.5 in long; wingspan about 8.5 in
- Weight
- 0.5–0.7 oz
- Habitat
- Coastal thickets, maritime forests, brushy edges and feeders
- When to see it
- Summer along the southern Atlantic coast (including the Carolinas) and in the south-central US; winters in Florida and Central America
- Diet
- Seeds, insects
Range in the United States
Life history
Food
Eats grass and weed seeds most of the year; feeds young insects.
Nesting
A woven cup of grass and leaves in a dense shrub or vine.
- Clutch
- 3–4 eggs
- Incubation
- 11–12 days
- Young
- Fledge at about 12–14 days
- Broods
- 2–3 per year
Behavior
Secretive except when males sing from exposed perches. Males fight hard over territories.
Conservation
Declining; the eastern population is small and of conservation concern.
Cool facts
- It's nicknamed the "nonpareil," French for "without equal."
- Males don't get their full colors until their second year.
- Trapping for the pet trade once hurt its numbers.
Songs & calls
▶Bird sounds video coming soon
Watch the Painted Bunting
▶Video coming soon
