Wondering about wild grapes

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Wondering About the Painted Bunting.

We have a pair of Painted Buntings that come to our feeder.  They are simply beautiful, especially the male.  All that beauty has almost been their downfall.  Since I don't have a camera that will do them justice, I found pictures on the Internet.  This first picture is of a male:
 
 Isn't he beautiful?  Have you ever seen all those colors on one bird?  It looks like someone hand painted it, but no, it is naturally that way with all those colors.

This last picture is of the female.  She is a beautiful bird in her own right.  Maybe not as gaudy as her male partner, but pretty just the same:
 

The reason they are fairly scarce it that because of their beauty, they were trapped in South America and shipped mostly to Europe as caged pet birds.  Now that is illegal but they are still on the decline because of the loss of habitat.  I feel blessed to have seen a pair of them.  They have come back to the feeder many times.  I even saw them this morning.  They make my day and I hope you all will have a great day, too, you hear?

12 comments:

  1. Now is that a real Painted Hunting or did your wife get a hold of a finch that she painted?

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    1. That is something she might do, but I would have painted it more realistic (grin).

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  2. My sis has them too. I looked them up last year to see what they were. So beautiful. The females are greenish.

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    1. Yes they are beautiful. The females are a greenish yellow here.

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  3. I had never seen one before either in person or in a picture. One learns something new everyday. Both are beautiful but the male is a thing of beauty :)

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    1. I don't know if that pair of birds is just passing thru or is going to stay here for the summer. They like swamps and I have a swamp and they seem to like bird feeders and I have those, so I am hoping they will stick around for awhile.

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  4. Oh Dizzy, you made my day! Last summer Bill broke his ankle and we had to stay (about 50 miles south of Ft Worth) in Texas most of the summer. I'd had hopes of heading to Wyoming last year. Nope, TX it was.... BUT... we had the painted buntings... within inches of our motorhome. They were gorgeous. Those kind of things always make me take a step back and appreciate the gifts He has planned for us.... no matter what our plans might be. Thanks so much... and I hope you enjoy your painted bunting as much as we did.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed my blog subject. I knew you had mentioned the Painted Bunting in one of your older blogs, but then seeing a pair of them in person, both the male and the female, I felt really blessed. I had never seen them before. Sure did make my day.

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  5. Pretty birds. Maybe someday I'll see one in my travels.

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    1. They don't range as far north as you where you live but maybe you will see them next winter when you sail the Florida gulf. They are found at times in southern Florida.

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  6. I've only seen indigo buntings, which are beautiful as well. The painted bunting male is exquisite!

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    1. The indigo bunting is pretty, also, but not as brightly colored. Of course I always liked blue and of course blue colored birds like the indigo bunting.

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