Beautiful Painted Buntings!
There sure has been a lot of talk about painted buntings around here lately! First we received customer Samuel Comer’s amazing image of painted buntings feeding on Bunting Millet Delight at his Duncraft Metal Haven feeder (shown at right), and then customer 
Janet Taylor’s experience with millet and her new Duncraft feeder which is posted below (scroll down to "Customer Review!"). Needless to say, a lot of people have been writing in asking how they too, can attract these beautiful birds.
Janet Taylor’s experience with millet and her new Duncraft feeder which is posted below (scroll down to "Customer Review!"). Needless to say, a lot of people have been writing in asking how they too, can attract these beautiful birds.
Not all of us are lucky enough to have painted buntings in our area. This map shows their summer range. There are two distinct populations. In winter, birds in the eastern range migrate to southern Florida, the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. The western population migrates south to Mexico and Central America.
The male painted bunting is unmistakable. With his blue head, green back and red chest, he’s one of the most colorful birds found in the US. The female is a bright greenish yellow. Painteds eat mostly insects in their summer breeding range, while in winter, they are more attracted to seeds—and millet is obviously a favorite! If you have painted buntings in your area only in summer, you can still try to attract them with millet, and they will definitely be attracted to mealworms at any time of the year. Try live, canned or roasted mealworms in a mealworm dish or feeder.
If you happen to be visiting an area where painted buntings can be found, try looking for them in brushlands, hedges and open woodlands. Painted buntings are small birds, only about 4 ½ inches long. They weave a deeply cupped nest and lay 3-4 grayish, or bluish white eggs with brown or gray speckles. They usually raise 2 or 3 broods a season, occasionally 4.
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Thank you Samuel, for providing us with this wonderful image of buntings at your feeder! And look for another of Samuel’s images of buntings featured on the back cover of our upcoming fall catalog in September. Click here to receive our catalog!
- Posted at Tuesday, July 22, 2008 01:07 PM
- In Wild Bird Feeding Category | Permalink
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I have a question.....I live in the NW corner of Alabama, near the Mississippi line, will painted buntings pass thru my area ever? I have NEVER seen one live. Do I need a feeder to attract or no? Myra
Posted by myra collum on Saturday, August 9, 2008 11:00 AM
They are by far the most beautiful bird! I have only seen the male once in my back yard and that was 4 years ago in February. I live in Weatherford, TX.
Posted by Stella on Thursday, August 7, 2008 02:50 PM
I live in Rogers, Arkansas (northwest corner). Has anyone ever seen these birds here?
Posted by tom woodruff on Saturday, August 9, 2008 04:44 PM
Those birds are amazing. The colors are so vibrant I thought maybe it was photoshopped :)
Posted by Jak on Monday, August 11, 2008 04:48 PM
Those birds are amazing. The colors are so vibrant I thought maybe it was photoshopped :)
Posted by Jak on Monday, August 11, 2008 04:48 PM
Hello Myra,
Thank you for your question. This is a quote from Cornell regarding the two populations. "The distribution of Painted Bunting is notable for the total, or nearly total, geographical separation of the distribution between a small eastern and a more widespread western population, with no documented overlap in distribution between the two populations."
According to the map and Cornell's statement, painted buntings aren't in your area. However, lots of birds do expand their range over time, especially due to people feeding them. So although you don't have these birds now, you may someday, if the conditions are right for them.
Posted by Duncraft on Tuesday, August 12, 2008 02:09 PM
i have seen painted buntings in my area near s.a. texas all summer but in the last month i have only seen the females and no males. why could that be?
Posted by kim on Thursday, August 14, 2008 10:19 AM
I live in DeLand (central Florida). I had one lone female at my feeder this spring. She would only stay at the feeder a few minutes and then fly away. This continued for several weeks. I never saw a male. I have read that they nest along the Florida coast.
Posted by Jennifer Reinoso on Saturday, September 13, 2008 05:12 AM