Painted Bunting

Also known as Nonpareil, Painted Finch, Mariposa

Male painted buntings boast an extraordinary patchwork of electric blue, bright green, and crimson plumage that takes two years to fully develop. They spend much of their time foraging low in dense thickets and woodland edges, making their presence known through sweet, ringing songs from high perches. During late summer, eastern populations undergo an unusual molt migration to staging areas where abundant seeds fuel their feather growth.