Birds: The Painted Bunting

Painted Bunting (text from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Painted_Bunting.html)









Passerina ciris
Order PASSERIFORMES - Family CARDINALIDAE







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.
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.
  

These are here in Oklahoma, but I have never seen one. It's on my list of birds to find. The Holy Grail of birds in my wish list.


I did see a small green bird one time, and didn't know what it was, it's possible it might have been the female. But to see the male, with all those colors on him, that would be pretty durn awesome.

That male is absolutely gorgeous. I can see why you have this particular bird in your holy grail of birds.

They claim they are hard to see in the brush, kind of like colored fish in the sea, the color makes them harder to see.

That don't compute to my mind, but for some reason it works.