Painted Bunting

Nature 3 Minutes

The Painted bunting (Passerina ciris) is a species of bird in the cardinal family, Cardinalidae. It is native to North America. The bright plumage of the male comes only in the second year of life and in the first year, the male can only be distinguished from the female by close inspection. The male is considered by many to be North America’s most beautiful bird, and they are one of the most popular visitors to bird feeders. Due to their attractive appearance and lovely warbling song, Painted buntings often live out their lives as cage birds. Habitat destruction and capture for the pet trade have meant that their numbers have decreased since the mid-1960s.

The male Painted bunting has been nicknamed nonpareil, or “without equal”. Its colors, dark blue head, green back, red rump, and underparts, make it extremely easy to identify, but it can still be difficult to spot since it often skulks in foliage even when it is singing. The plumage of female and juvenile painted buntings is green and yellow-green, serving as camouflage. Once seen, the adult female is still distinctive, since it is a brighter, truer green than other similar songbirds. The juveniles have two inserted molts in their first autumn, each yielding plumage like an adult female. The first starts a few days after fledging, replacing the juvenile plumage with an auxiliary formative plumage; and the second a month or so later giving the formative plumage.

Painted buntings are divided into an eastern and a western population. The eastern population lives only in the coastal regions of northern Florida up to North Carolina. The population in the west ranges from Louisiana and Texas up to Kansas and winters mainly in Mexico and southwards to Panama, while those from the east winter in southern Florida, the Florida Keys being one of these locations, and occasionally in Cuba and the Bahamas. The western population breeds in a habitat consisting of partially open areas with scattered brush, shrubbery, and riparian thickets. The eastern birds choose scrub communities and the edges of maritime hammocks. The winter habitats are similar to each other, being tropical savanna and tropical forest margins.

Painted buntings are social birds. They feed by day hopping along the ground, cautiously stopping every few moments to look around. They are shy, secretive, and often difficult to observe with the human eye, though can be fairly approachable where habituated to bird feeders. The males are frequently heard singing songs that may last 30 seconds or more, being a means of self-advertisement and/or territorial defense during the breeding season when they become highly territorial. They also engage in visual displays including flying bouncingly like a butterfly or in an upright display, body-fluff display, bow display, and wing-quiver display.

Painted buntings are nocturnal migrants, and migrate over short to medium distances. Fall migration starts at the end of July and runs to mid-October, with the spring returning from early April until mid-May. The populations from the west undergo a molt in northern Mexico and southern Arizona (between their breeding and wintering habitats) before arriving at the wintering grounds in the south, in Mexico and Central America. Those from the east molt before migration travel straight to their wintering habitat in southern Florida, Cuba, and the Bahamas. When alarmed, these birds flutter frantically and utter alarm calls.

This species is usually monogamous, though there is some polygyny, with a number of males taking more than one mate. During the breeding season, the birds remain on their own or in pairs. Males arrive first at the breeding habitat, one week before the females, and proceed to select and defend their mating territory. The breeding period, from late March until early August, involves various visual displays such as an upright display, bow display, body-fluff display, and wing-quivering display. The breeding season peaks between mid-May and mid-July. Nests are built in low-lying vegetation by the females, woven into surrounding vegetation for strength. A female raises two broods each season, laying 3 to 4 eggs per brood. Incubation is by the female alone and is for around 11 to 12 days. The mother feeds her altricial chicks with the male occasionally helping. The chicks fledge at 12-14 days and there is further parental care for about 3 more weeks.

The French word ‘nonpareil’, is used for this species. It means “without equal,” and refers to the bird’s splendid plumage.

Males of this species perform displays of short flights with rapidly beating wings. These may show unique flight patterns, like “butterfly flights”, with slow, deep wing beats and undulating flight, and “moth flights”, a slow descending flight with a wing-quivering display.

Painted buntings are one of the most spectacularly colored and visually impressive birds in the United States and are the only U.S. bird with a blue head along with red underparts.

The species name ‘ceris’ is from the Greek myth that tells about Scylla, a princess who was turned into the sea bird keiris.

An American Indian legend tells that when the great spirit gave colors to all the birds, he was running out of dye, so the Painted bunting, being the very last one, received plumage of many colors from dabs of the colors that were left.

SOURCE: ANIMALIA

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Published by pat frederick

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137 thoughts on “Painted Bunting”

    1. Morning, Pat! All is well here in flyover country – temp at 48, still cloudy and breezy but not too bad. I’ll be putting my feeders back out later this morning. Supposedly, it will clear up for a day or so then more rain is predicted with more “normal” spring temps.

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          1. we dd just have a downpour…score one for them at least.
            been watching the ducks they love the rain. they were chasing each other around and then suddenly it was everyone out of the pond.
            then all 4 of them found the hole where the tree was blown over from (and hubby moved to the wood shed)…staring into it…the females took turns in there…checking out a nesting spot?
            now they’re back in the pond

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            1. I’ll bet they are eyeing it for a nest! At one time, when I had really grand plans for this place, I envisioned a manicured back yard, with rock trails, small trees and ponds – some with ducks, some with koi. Yeah, right! That went by the wayside quickly! LOL

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    2. Good morning, Miss Pat – !

      The painted bunting is one gorgeous bird! I’ve never seen one!

      Hope Spring is finally here for you folks in PA! 

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  3. Liked by 1 person

      1. we’ll see…gotta give them credit tho.
        my son in law complains about this a lot with his small cattle group–the meat processing plants are horrendously expensive. they have a work around now

        Liked by 1 person

  13. dogsmaw

    dogsmaw

    April 17, 2024 6:16 am

    Exclusive – MTG on Mike Johnson Speakership: ‘It’s Over – He’s Just the Only One Who Hasn’t Acknowledged It’

    The Hastert Rule, named for former Speaker Denny Hastert, is a Republican principle that holds that a GOP Speaker will not bring a proposal to the floor that does not have the support of at least the majority of the majority. Johnson has repeatedly violated the Hastert rule, on spending and on other major proposals — and he routinely relies on Democrats to pass bills through a mechanism called a “suspension of the rules.”

    Referencing The Hastert Rule

    https://www.congressionalinstitute.org/2013/07/17/the-hastert-rule/

    Speaker Johnson Unveils Scheme to Bring Ukraine Vote to House Floor

    It seems a storm is brewing over the comments made Sunday during Mike Johnson’s interview. Maybe Johnson doesnt have 100% support like he said eh?

    He (President Donald Trump) simply responded, “We’ll see what happens.”

    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/04/16/well-see-what-happens-donald-trump-backs-off-support-for-mike-johnson-as-conservatives-move-to-oust-him-as-speaker/

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  17. such drama this morning in the small pond…LOL
    TWO pairs of wood ducks are in the pond at the moment and are vying for who gets more control and space there. since they are identical pairs we can’t tell who’s been here all along and who’s the newcomers…LOL

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    1. Jake has become accustomed to seeing Wheezer on the patio but he now appears to be staking his claim over my entire yard, front and back. He showed up to eat but left shortly thereafter; a couple of minutes later, Jake was going nuts running from LR window to my bedroom window and back again, seemingly all bent out of shape that someone was encroaching on his territory…even tho he’s never been IN the front yard…and it turned out to be Wheezer. I’ve not seen him out in front before, just crossing on the west to get to the back yard/patio. The black calico appears to have staked his claim to the shed, I expect living underneath it. It will be interesting when/if he and Wheezer come face-to-face. The black one is bigger.

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  23. “Okay… Let’s power this up and see what happens….”

    NF: This used to bug the shit outta me!!!

    An uber-polite way to say “GFY!”

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          1. Right-click on the picture, select “open image in new tab,” then use the plus/minus keys to enlarge or reduce. Easy-peasy!

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  28. Just checked the 10 day forecast – only 1 day (this Sunday) with sunshine – variable chances of rain every single day, with some highs only in the 40’s!

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  29. Well, I just unsubscribed to ReMIX news out of Europe since apparently, now you have to pay to actually read the articles in their newsletters. F’em!

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    1. From Just The News earlier: Schumer said he’s not going to block it and he will bring it to the floor…but again claims it is bogus.

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  35. Jason called me earlier to ask if I wanted him to mow – it was getting pretty thick and this is about the only day in the next 10 days that it won’t be rainy. Perfect timing! If we get the rain as predicted, it will need to be mowed again in a couple of weeks. I’m also having Matt, the guy who sprays, give me the full service this spring, with the heavy-duty weed killer (TX stickers) and fertilizer. I usually only have him spray for “regular” weeds like dandelions and thistles but decided to splurge this year. I think the last time was 10 years ago! LOL

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  36. i made an angelfood cake, some chocolate pudding, and the chili for supper tonight. then I got out the hummer feeders. hubby showed me an article that says there’s hummers in NJ already. as soon as the rain stops i will put the chains out. as soon as i see an oriole hanging on the chains, I’ll put out a jelly feeder for them. Normally we don’t get hummers till May…

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    1. Ya’ know, I’ve given up trying to predict when any of them are going to show up – I’m wrong every fricking time! I’ve got the feeders back out – the red bundt pan really draws the eye – those Orioles won’t be able to miss that! LOL But I may end up having to bring them in, depending on the rain/wind. My goodness! My yard really looks nice right now!!! All green and nice and neat.

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      1. we just had a hen turkey strut thru–all by her lonesome…

        first year we were here, a hen nearby had 15 baby turkeys. by the end off summer there were only 2 or 3 left. coyotes, bears and foxes took the rest

        Liked by 1 person

        1. I remember you talking about that – that’s the way it is in the wild world. Didn’t you just mention a gorgeous Tom turkey was strutting around a day or so ago?

          Liked by 1 person

          1. 2 of them…but we didn’t see any hens. heck our first spring here–there were hundreds!!! of turkeys–male and female–in a flock being herded by 3 coyotes. it was very educational. two kept them moving–one from the side and one chasing stragglers and they were herding towards a third up the mountain. the coyotes only stood still when you whistled–and even then for only a moment. hubby got his rifle but not got off a shot.
            the sounds up the mountain were awful…
            and then the flock took to the air

            Liked by 1 person

  40. Just The News: “The Democratic-led Senate killed both impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday, cancelling the impeachment trial before it got off the ground.

    Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., offered a deal to the Senate GOP on the floor where senators would have time for debate and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, would be able to force votes on a full trial as well as establishing an impeachment committee. Votes on dismissing the impeachment articles would follow. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said on the floor that he objected to voting to dismiss the charges without a full trial.

    After his objection, Schumer motioned for a vote on the constitutionality of impeachment article one against Mayorkas. Schumer argued that it does not rise to the level of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

    Cruz requested a vote that the Senate move to a closed session to debate the constitutionality of impeachment article one. Schumer shot back, saying he gave the GOP a chance to debate the articles in public but Schmitt objected. The motion raised by Cruz failed to pass.

    Schumer’s motion to deem article one unconstitutional passed 51-48. He then made a motion to deem article two unconstitutional, which passed 51-49.

    The two impeachment articles against Mayorkas alleged a “breach of trust” related to Mayorkas describing the southern U.S. border as secure as well as a “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law.”

    Mayorkas told Congress under oath that the southern border was secure when migrants attempting to enter the U.S. was surging. Migrant encounters have continued to set records and the Biden Administration has been releasing millions into U.S. communities. House Republicans estimate that there have been 8 million migrant encounters to date under Biden. They also estimate that about 3.5 million migrants have been released into the U.S.

    Senate Republicans argued that the chamber should not set a precedent that lying to Congress to not an impeachable offense. 

    Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, noted that never before the history of the U.S. have impeachment articles been dismissed before impeachment managers have a chance to present their case. Some senators such as John Thune, R-S.D., tried to make several arguments on the floor as to why the Senate should hold a trial, including that the “worst border crisis” in U.S. history has unfolded since 2021. The presiding office, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said the Senate was not in a debatable position and called for order.

    “The Senate will be in order,” she said. Schumer said earlier on Wednesday that he would allow a floor debate on the impeachment articles but called on senators to dismiss the charges. “For the sake of the Senate’s integrity and to protect impeachment for those rare cases, we truly need it. Senators should dismiss today’s charges,” Schumer said in a speech on the Senate floor.

    “So when we convene in trial today to accommodate the wishes of our Republican Senate colleagues, I will seek an agreement for a period of debate time that would allow Republicans to offer a vote on trial resolutions, allow for Republicans to offer points of order and then move to dismiss,” he added.

    Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on Wednesday that “tabling articles of impeachment would be unprecedented in the history of the Senate.”

    Liked by 1 person

  42. “Looks to me like they are in just the right place. Right next to a boat… Infamous boat-sinking orcas spotted hundreds of miles from where they should be, baffling scientist…”

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  46. “Biden Unveils Official Campaign Slogan ‘Death To America’”

    POLITICS · Apr 17, 2024 · BabylonBee.com

    Article Image

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — After workshopping several potential slogans with Democratic focus groups, the 2024 Biden campaign has settled on “Death To America”.

    “This is what the Biden Presidency is all about,” announced President Biden as the campaign banner was unfurled. “Death to the Great Satan!”

    According to sources within the campaign, Biden began considering the slogan after hearing his supporters organically chanting “Death To America” at his speeches. “Nothing fires up a Biden crowd like calling for the violent destruction of the United States,” said campaign manager Steve Roscoe. “It’s like how whenever Trump needed to juice the crowd in 2016, he would start saying ‘Build The Wall’. For Biden, it’s ‘Death To America’. That really sends the crowd into a frenzy.”

    After weeks of considering alternatives such as “Allahu Akbar” and “From The River To The Sea”, Biden chose “Death To America” for its inclusive messaging. “It’s a big-tent slogan that encapsulates the heart of the Democratic Party,” explained Roscoe. “Maybe you want to bankrupt America through entitlements – death to America! Maybe you want to murder the next generation in the womb – death to America! Maybe you want to brainwash children into a suicide cult that amputates healthy organs – death to America! Maybe you’re an Islamist terrorist that want to literally bring about the deaths of Americans – death to America! Everyone who wishes the destruction of this country is welcome in the Democratic Party.”

    At publishing time, the Biden campaign had reported excellent sales across the Middle East of their new “Death To America” t-shirts.”

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  47. “People Angry About Low WNBA Salaries Prepared To Do Anything Except Watch WNBA”

    SPORTS · Apr 17, 2024 · BabylonBee.com

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    U.S. — As the debate over the gender wage gap among professional basketball players raged on, people who were angry about low WNBA salaries proudly declared they were prepared to do anything necessary to bring about change except for watching WNBA games.

    While activists arguing on behalf of WNBA players voiced a willingness to go to great lengths to help increase salaries to be more comparable to their male counterparts in the NBA, they made it clear that actually watching WNBA games was not something to which they would subject themselves.

    “What? Watch the games? No, don’t be ridiculous,” said Gretchen Byrd, who leads the Committee for Fair Salaries in Industries that Generate Vastly Different Amounts of Revenue. “It is our mission to see these female athletes paid fairly, and we’re going to do whatever we have to do to achieve that goal. But no way are you going to get us to watch any of those games.”

    Fans of basketball phenom Caitlin Clark were up in arms after seeing the yearly salary breakdown of her first professional contract and immediately began to develop a strategy to affect change. “We’ll stop at nothing,” said Victor Dreeb, a supporter of women’s sports who hasn’t yet attended any games. “Except for watching them play. Have you ever seen them? I caught a few seconds of a game on TV by accident once. Yikes.”

    At publishing time, people who described themselves as passionate about closing the gender wage gap in the WNBA agreed to all meet outside Clark’s first game to protest as long as they weren’t required to go inside the arena.

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  48. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

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