Kat

Whatr attracts them? I have an orange grove and thought that would buy I have only seen one in 5 years. How / what time of day do you spot them and what do they need?

Thanks for any advice!

Anita

Hi Anita,
Painted buntings are shy little birds. They like thick bushes and small trees to hide in. I give them finch mix in a songbird selective feeder with a cage to keep large birds out. This is the fourth year they have visited. Once they are here they stay until late March or early April. They love the birdbath, I now have three! I feed them up close to my window under the crepe myrtle, they like the protected area there and munch on the seeds. Usually they will eat off and on just about all day but the best time to spot them seems to be about four o'clock.
Kat

Anita, during migration, they will eat at just about any seed feeder, as long as it isn't being monopolized by larger birds. Here are some blurry (through the screen) pics from my backyard last spring. They were here with the indigo buntings, but far fewer of them. The goldfinches stayed a couple of months, the indigos a couple of weeks, the painteds just a few days.

This tray has black oiler sunflower seeds on half of it, and a really good seed mixture on the other half, plus I keep a thistle sock hanging as long as the goldfinches are around.

Marcia

Ohhh I miss my painted bunting. It's been 2 houses ago, when Den first moved to Florida. I had one that would visit my lanai feeders and Dennis and I would watch him for hours. I could not believe how bright his colors were. He only brought a mate 2 or 3 times times (she much much duller in comparison) but he showed up just about every day in the fall. We had dense scrub palms where I think he lived most of the time. What a stunning little bird. Kat you are sooooo lucky!

Hi Kat,

Thanks for the great bunting news - I put my feeder out yesterday so I am waiting anxiously for their arrival. We usually get 7-8 and they stay all winter until March/April as you state, but I have never seen an indigo bunting- I wonder where they migrate to?

Anyone have a map of WHERE they are spotted?

Check out this info.
Kat

Here is a link that might be useful: painted bunting info

Nice link, Kat. I will say that though normally I see them going through on migration, I HAVE seen the occasional nesting pair over near Merritt Island. I suspect that is about the extreme southern tip of the breeding range. Mostly they breed from northern Florida through to central North Carolina.

With them wintering in south Florida, it means that you COULD actually see them in most of the state at various times, either migrating north or south, wintering in South Florida, or nesting in the spring in north Florida.

As I say, mine were at my feeder during March/April. I would guess that they were heading back north from southern Florida in order to nest.

Marcia

Painted buntings have arrived in my yard too! Saw my first gorgeous male at my feeder this morning. I hope the rest of the group arrive soon as well.