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roselee_gw

Texas Painted Buntings at Carrie's bird feeders ...

Carrie took these pictures of the beautiful and rare Texas Painted Bunting at her bird feeder a few days ago and sent them along this morning.

She says, "This male and a female were at the feeders a couple of days running, then yesterday I saw a juvenile male at the feeders, so hopefully, that means they are nesting here.......woo-hoo !! The quality of the pictures is not too good, but you can see how beautiful they are."

"Whoo-hoo" is right! To see them at bird feeders is still a rare sight as they are a shy bird of the wooded areas in Texas. However, they are appearing more often in suburban yards.

Carrie, what kind of seeds do you find that they prefer?

If anyone else has experience and/or photos of Texas Painted Buntings you're invited to post them on this thread.

Comments (24)

  • PKponder TX Z7B
    11 years ago

    Thank you Carrie for getting the pictures and Roselee for posting them! It's been a long time since we had them at our feeders in Granbury and I love these beauties!

    They were fond of pale millet (not the red)when we lived in Granbury.

  • carrie751
    11 years ago

    That seems to be their seed of choice here as well.

  • ogrose_tx
    11 years ago

    Wow, lucky you!! They are gorgeous.

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    11 years ago

    I have had about three males and four girls. The guys are around a lot more than the girls.

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    11 years ago

    I have never seen one before, thanks for posting the pictures. Barbra

  • WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
    11 years ago

    Wow! Just beautiful. I have never seen one, so it was thrilling to see these photos taken by someone here in Texas.

  • linda_tx8
    11 years ago

    Carrie, I'm so happy for you! I first saw the Painted Buntings here last summer toward the end of the summer, I think. And my luck got even better when they returned in late June! I call the males "pretty boys" and the females I call "greenies". My pet names, I guess! They're still here and come to the feeder every day. Makes the summer more bearable to see them. This one must be a female.

  • linda_tx8
    11 years ago

    Well, that one didn't show up. One more try, I guess!

  • linda_tx8
    11 years ago

    I've got a feeder near a window and just take the picture with the lens between the curtains. One of the pretty boys!

  • carrie751
    11 years ago

    Linda, what great pics, and you are so blessed to get to see them each day. I am in awe of these little birds, but my males don't come out as often as the females. I see and hear the females in the large shrubs I planted by the barn when I was building my Backyard Habitat ......they love not being so visible. Your photos are just beautiful.

  • linda_tx8
    11 years ago

    Thank you. You're right about them being shy! They like thick shrubby areas best and don't want to be far from cover at any given time. My yard has small trees and shrubs for them to hide in. I've also heard that they don't usually stay long in cities...this I was told by someone who works in a wild bird store. I bought another feeder with an excluder just for them...filled it with white millet. They deserve it.

  • rock_oak_deer
    11 years ago

    Beautiful photos Carrie and Linda. We have not seen any this year.

  • carrie751
    11 years ago

    That is an awesome photo of mama feeding baby .......love it.

  • PKponder TX Z7B
    11 years ago

    I love your photos too Linda! The females seem shyer and those are just great shots!

  • linda_tx8
    11 years ago

    Thanks! The pretty boys and the greenies are both shy. But they need to eat, so that doesn't always stop them from coming to my feeders. Sometimes they hide behind the feeder tube hoping they can't be seen. Their song is pretty, too!

  • carrie751
    11 years ago

    They have a beautiful song, Linda. It took me quite some time to know where that "sound" was coming from as I had never heard it before. My first painted bunting appeared at my feeder on Easter Sunday of 2003 and they have appeared randomly since then.

  • roselee z8b S.W. Texas
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Scroll down on the site below and hear their song!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Painted bunting sounds ...

  • PKponder TX Z7B
    11 years ago

    Roselee, thanks for the sounds! I think that I have heard them here but they must be hiding in the trees!

  • Lynn Marie
    11 years ago

    OMG! Those are gorgeous! I've never even heard of them. Now I'm going to buy nothing but pale millet for my one feeder in hopes of one day attracting them. I'm sure the plain brown birds won't care. They'll eat anything.

  • linda_tx8
    11 years ago

    Well, my Painted Buntings left already, unfortunately. Hopefully they will return here next summer!

  • linda_tx8
    11 years ago

    Oh, and they will come to a feeder that has mixed bird seed, as long as it has that kind of millet included. I just put a separate feeder with the millet and excluder to decrease the competition with other birds.

  • carrie751
    11 years ago

    I am still seeing females at the feeder often, so think my stay year round. The males are just very shy, and come out only when they think no one is around.

  • linda_tx8
    11 years ago

    Well, my bird book shows that they're only in the U.S. during the breeding season...except for southern Florida, where some overwinter. Otherwise they overwinter in tropical regions.

  • carrie751
    11 years ago

    Maybe mine are just slower to leave as they are still here. I will be more observant of when I no longer see them....

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