Bird guide · Passerina ciris
Painted Bunting
What the painted bunting eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Migrant
- Size
- 4.9 in (12.5 cm)
- Eats
- millet, seed mixes
- Feeds
- ground, tray/platform, tube
- Most common
- Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas
Food
What do painted buntings eat?
At feeders, painted buntings take millet, seed mixes.
Secretive, staying close to low dense cover; mostly feeds on seeds on the ground.
Feeder that suits it
A low tray or platform feeder, or seed scattered on the ground below your feeder.
Range
Where do painted buntings live?
Breeds in the southeastern and south-central US; some winter in Florida and at feeders there. By share of all bird sightings, painted buntings are most common in Oklahoma (0.5%).
States where painted buntings are most common
- Oklahoma0.5%
- South Carolina0.5%
- Texas0.4%
- Louisiana0.2%
- Georgia0.1%
- Arkansas0.1%
- Mississippi0.07%
- Alabama0.07%
- Kansas0.05%
- Florida0.04%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are painted buntings, 2019–2024.
Season
When can you see the painted bunting?
Migrant. Across the US, sightings start in April, peak in June and fade out in October.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are painted buntings, by month.
Identification
How to identify the painted bunting
Male: Blue head, bright green back and red throat, chest and rump.
Female: Yellow-green below, green above, with a pale eye-ring.
Young birds: Duller than adults; first-year males look like females.
Size: 4.9 in (12.5 cm)
On camera
Getting the painted bunting on a feeder camera
Most visits happen on the ground or on low trays. A camera feeder with a wide tray, placed low near cover, catches far more than a hanging tube.
Questions
Painted Bunting: questions
What do painted buntings eat?
At feeders, millet, seed mixes.
Do painted buntings migrate?
Migrant. Across the US, sightings start in April, peak in June and fade out in October.
Where do painted buntings live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia. They are rare or absent in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware.
What does a female painted bunting look like?
Yellow-green below, green above, with a pale eye-ring.
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