#bunting

Rose-bellied Bunting (Passerina rositae), family Cardinalidae, order Passeriformes, endemic to a small area of southern Mexico

the painted bunting is a colorful member of the cardinal family that is native to north america. the plumage of female & juvenile painted buntings is green & yellow-green; while not as colorful as adult males, females are still vibrant in comparison to many female north american songbirds. the bright plumage the male is known for develops in the second year of life, and displays as a dark blue head, green back, and red underside. while they can be habituated to birdfeeders and become regular visitors, they are often shy and reclusive when spotted in the wild. painted buntings mainly feed on seeds through the winter, but during summer months while breeding & feeding their young, their diet consists mainly of invertebrates like insects, snails, and spiders. nests are woven into low, dense vegetation by the female, providing extra security for the young; a clutch is typically 3-4 gray-white eggs, often speckled with brown. typically, a second clutch is laid a month after the first clutch fledges. painted bunting nests are often parasitized by cowbirds, who will lay their eggs in other species’ nests (then, on hatching, the larger and stronger baby cowbird will push out remaining eggs or nestlings). painted bunting have been recorded to live over ten years of age, although their lifespan is typically much shorter. despite efforts to curb the illegal trade of these birds, they are still trapped and sold in the pet trade, although numbers of birds illegally trapped have decreased.

photos sourced from the Macaulay Library

An Indigo Bunting makes an appearance, but only for a moment.