I am excited to get back out in the field to band our beautiful buntings! My colleague Brian and I are banding on Bald Head Island (NC) next week. PBOT maintains nearly 70 banding sites throughout North and South Carolina – seven of which are on Bald Head Island, an ideal oasis for Painted Buntings with its protected maritime forest, open marshes, and ample shrub-scrub thickets. This is the last banding session of this year’s breeding season (we visit each site three times each spring/summer), and we expect to see lots of fledglings and their mothers – but few males at this point in the year. In fact, several of our Florida friends were already spotting males as early as August 1st! The females and this last flush of fledglings will probably not leave the Carolinas until mid-September or October, but this is fair warning for those of you in Florida: your Painted Buntings are on their way! I will report a final tally of our work on Bald Head Island in the coming weeks, but during the previous session (in mid-July), Brian and our colleague Liani put bands on 53 birds (14 of which were “hatch-year” birds – hatched this spring or summer), and recaptured 44 birds we had banded in previous years. Brian was excited to recapture a very colorful female that we had banded as an adult in 2007, making her at least 6 years old… a senior citizen in the Painted Bunting world! From our experience, older females will often develop colorful plumage – usually a beautiful red hue on their back, flanks, or breast, as was the case with this old gal. I’ll let you know if we spot her again next week!
Anyone seeing PB's this month? Last year they were here for the winter duration, but so far I've only seen 1 greenie. Seems like a very slow start.
The sightings log will not take my observations without number of males/green. So just letting you know that two days and 4 hours total observation time, I have not sighted a green PABU. But will still be watching for the rest of the week. Hoping to see my molting male by chance. Did have a American Red Start stop in for a quick bath (pretty exciting). Big decline in my titmouse but my Cardinal numbers are up, not to mention the sharp shinned hawk that caused so much excitement with the feeder birds and the chickens.
Hey Wendy, look at your greens closely. I find that most that are males close to two years old will tend to start showing more yellow streaking or over all yellow coloring. The females tend to stay a pale green to olive green. Take some photos and look for the tell tale blue specks and patches on the head. It is always exciting to notice these markings and will help you to ID your young males.
Yes me again in Cocoa. I have heard you talk about 'Greenies' Am I correct in thinking they are females or are they juveniles?
Thank you again,
Wendy
Cocoa, Florida
Hi Wendy - We call all green Painted Buntings "greenies" because young males in their first two years of life are green just like all female Painted Buntings. This helps our data remain accurate - there would be an unusual abundance of females in the population if we called all green Painted Buntings females! In the spring, you may be able to identify your second-year green males by their singing - female Painted Buntings do not sing, so a singing greenie is a young male trying his hand (or voice) at attracting a mate. -- Leah
Does anyone know how long it takes a bird to migrate from the Carolinas to Florida? I live west of West Palm Beach, set my millet out in early August, no birds so far.
Susan Davis
Wellington, Fl
Are they attracted to millet?
Thanks,
Wendy
Cocoa, Florida
Yes, they LOVE millet!
Hello again,
Please forgive my ignorance but are these birds heading north or south in the fall?
Regards,
Wendy
Cocoa, Florida
Hi Wendy - That's a perfectly reasonable question! Painted Buntings are headed south right now... the eastern population of Painted Buntings breeds in the spring and summer in the Carolinas, Georgia, or northeastern Florida. They head south for Florida, Cuba, or Mexico in the late fall and spend the winter there (through mid-April). The western population breeds in and around Texas, but also spends the winter in Mexico. -- Leah
Hello all,
I have been wondering when I may hopefully see my beautiful little friends again, I am in central Florida close the the Kennedy Space Center. I would like advice please on what I can do in my backyard suburban to be sure they find their way back to visit. Is there any special food to attract? I have been using the same type for a while now, a generic all bird type, but will do what ever to attract them.
Thank you all for all that you do.
Wendy Keighley
Cocoa
Hi Wendy - First let me assure you that Painted Buntings have strong site fidelity, which means they tend to return to the same location year after year... so if you had them in past years, you should have them visit again this year! In general, Painted Buntings are looking for two things in a good winter home - plenty of dense vegetation (low dense hedges, trees, and thickets) to hide and roost in, and a well-stocked feeder full of white millet. If the feeder is a caged feeder that keeps the larger "bully" birds at bay, even better! White millet can be found at most wild bird and feed & seed stores and sometimes even in larger DIY and hardware stores. It also helps to set up the feeder near some of that dense vegetation, which affords our shy buntings a readily-available oasis in case competition on the feeder gets too stiff - they will often perch nearby and wait for things to calm down before returning. I hope our Florida friends will offer more advice to help you attract more of these beauties! -- Leah
Well I could be wrong about the urge to migrate. Did a 3 hour observation this evening and only spotted one green adult (twice). Will still be doing observations until I see no painted's for at least a week straight.
Hi Debra - Thanks for being so diligent! We appreciate everyone keeping an eye out until long after they think their buntings are gone - they can certainly surprise you by showing back up after a few days, or even weeks, of being "in hiding". This is often when you get that fleeting chance to see a green male molting into his adult colors... they seem to be particularly shy while molting, and may only come out when hunger forces them to visit your feeder this time of year. Thanks for all your reports, posts, and photos, Debra! -- Leah
Had a new juvenile and parent (green no bands) show up tonight. New as in late year hatch, the parent was on the feeder and the juvenile was in the shrub behind the feeder shaking its wings and letting out loud chirps trying to get the parents attention and feed it. At least after all the rain lately I have noticed an abundance of insects, small grass hoppers and more garden spiders, so insect food for the juvenile should not be a problem this late in the year. Still waiting on my badly molting green male to show back up in full painted colors before he migrates.
I saw my first greenie this morning in my backyard,. I live in plantation.It was alone,very small,it must be a baby.A blue Jay tried to scoop it up. It' was looking for food on the ground. My feeders are full and I am so excited. I so enjoy these beautiful birds. This is their 5th year back...
Hi Karen - Thanks for letting us know of your first sighting in Plantation, Florida! -- Leah
A few days ago I had an accident and busted a few ribs and have not had the oopmh not to mention the meds. To get my gear out and do observations. I did get out this evening for three hours. Only spotted one or maybe two juveniles (can not tell with out bands) one banded female HEOS and a no band adult green. Was hoping to see my green male that looks a sight, molting into some of his colors. But did not spot him, not to say he is not still around. Mine come out later and later some sightings were few and far between after 5 to 5:30 then nothing until after 7 pm. So you may still have some, you just have to be willing to spend the time waiting on them.
Oh NO! I'm so sorry you injured yourself, Debra! I hope you recover quickly and without too much disruption to your usual active life. Best wishes from us! -- Leah
After by far my best PB year, I have seen none at all in 2 weeks,
Ray Swagerty----Charleston, SC
I am down to what may be one green male, two females and possibly two or three juveniles. I really hate the end of the season. The juveniles are always fun to watch as they learn to hull the millet seed. This year I have juvenile tail biters, they learned early how to deal with the house finch. lol. Will keep on watching until I see no more painted buntings. Hope to see many post from our Fl. friends through the winter.
I live in Savannah, Ga. I have lived in my home for 3 years. Every spring in mid April, I have had numerous male and female PB. This year I have had as many as 6 Greenies and 4 males at one time in at my feeders. Lately though, I still have Greenies and I think a baby this week, but have not seen any males for about a week. Do they migrate befor the females? Really hate to see them leave. Hope they return in the spring. I will have some nice white millet waiting for them!
Here in Deerfield Beach, we spotted a male bunting last weekend 08/10. He was here only three days, We usually have them visit us beginning late September. Is this usual to have seen him so soon?
Thanks for the warning! I filled my feeder with millet on Thursday, fired up my BirdCam again, and got some photos of a greenie visiting on Friday evening. Wow, I think this is a record for me on Amelia Island. Perhaps these fellows never left at all, but it's nice to have them back at my feeder in any case.