We’ve been fortunate the past few years to have some beautiful visitors come to our bird feeders. The painted buntings are marvels. The males are some of the most colorful birds we see. Their combination of a deep blue head, green back and bright red breast and belly is stunning. Even the females are distinctively colored. Their overall hue is green with a yellowish tint on their bellies while their shoulders and wings have a wash of teal.
They are often timid when first coming to the feeder but eventually gain confidence and don’t get scared as easily. It can be very difficult to snap a good photo because they like to work their way to the feeder from the bushes and are often obstructed until they hop out to feed. They prefer caged feeders which is not good for pictures. This year we have a palm warbler who likes to chase the male bunting. I was lucky to be in the right spot at the right time to capture the photo below. The warbler was chasing the bunting and he landed out in the open just long enough for me to fire off a few quick shots.
Painted buntings are one of the most sought-after birds for photographers visiting Florida. We are blessed to enjoy them from October through March.
For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.