While leading a birding tour last weekend, I spotted this handsome Painted Bunting singing his heart out and fluttering around the shadows of the brush scattered behind the dunes of Wrightsville Beach.
Although this bird isn’t adorned with the familiar rainbow plumage, I was able to identify it as a first year male.
The reason why is because of its song as only male Painted Buntings sing out in varied warbling song, while the females are generally silent save for a few chip calls every now and again.
It can be difficult to identify a juvenile male versus female Bunting though! First-year males (like this bird) look similar to the females (which are dressed in subtle green hues), but the vibrantly colored green color of the young males plumage is much brighter and may have flecks of iridescent blue in it.
Male Painted Buntings retain their green plumage until they are 15-18 months old, then molt into the multi colored feather gems which we are most able to recognize in the field.
As seen in the last couple photos in this post, the adult male Painted Bunting’s upperparts are blue, with a lemon-green back, green wings, reddish rump, and red eye ring. The underparts of their plumage is bright red.
But what is the point in being so flashy?
As with other members of the Cardinal family, the brightest hued Painted Buntings are most likely to attract the mates of their choice.
Not surprisingly, the breeding plumage of the adult Buntings tends to attract the attention of photographers and others the most too lol!
And for good reason, they are truly stunning.
Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding both captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5