Mar. 13, 2011 - Painted Buntings
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Corkscrew Swamp http://www.corkscrew.audubon.org/ ) is an Audubon bird sanctuary located in southeast Florida about an hour away from Fort Myers. You walk through the sanctuary on a 2.25 mile boardwalk (pictured above). The birds and other wildlife realize that people must stay on the boardwalk so they don’t spook as easily and you often get very good looks at them.
One of the bird species seen along the boardwalk is the Painted Bunting. The male (above) is one of the most colorful birds that we see in the United States. It takes two years before the males look like this, however. During their first year they look very much like the females (see below).
Female Painted Buntings are lime green and yellow. This muted plumage helps them to be less conspicuous when they are sitting on their nests. At a glance, they could be mistaken for one of our less colorful warblers but note that the sturdy bill is not at all like the thin, sharp bill of a warbler
I’ve read several places that the males can be very aggressive in defending their territory. They actually get into fierce battles and can be seriously injured or even killed. There are two distinct populations within the United States. One is found in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. The other group inhabits the coastal areas of North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
earlorfphotos
on March 17, 2011Good questions, Linda. I sent an e-mail to Corkscrew Swamp and will let you know the answers when I hear back from them.
Linda
on March 14, 2011I notice a band on the leg of one of those males. Are many of them at Corkscrew Swamp banded? Where do they do the banding? As always, great photos, Earl!
Patti
on March 13, 2011The one and only time I saw a painted bunting was at corkscrew swamp. I love seeing your pictures from there and Ding Darling - they bring back such good memories of trips there and your photography and narrative are wonderful. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing!