My parents are super weird and super smart. That is a bad combination for a seven-year-old girl’s summer. My summer vacations as a kid were filled with the Texas heat. Correction: it is always hot in Texas; not just during the summer. There are no seasons in that state. It is just an endless cycle of drought and dead grass. When I was not splashing around in our pool, I was sitting directly in front of a fan. The air conditioning of the house was my only solace from red, hot sunburns. These were the days, the ones that were too hot to bear, that I annoyed the life out of my family. My punishment? Summer homework!

When my stepmother married into our family, she hopped onto the birdwatching bandwagon. So, every time my boring rambling became too much to bear, she refocused my attention on a couple of huge books. Bird books. In other words, she made write a bird report. Not cool.
While I was never happy to do these projects at the moment, I look back on them with fond memories. I learned so much about regional birds. Now, I finally understood why my dad, and grandfather, got so excited when they saw rare birds at the feeder. I began sitting out on the porch, watching and waiting. Honestly, I was super bad at identifying birds. All the colors blended for me. This is probably why I had such a soft spot for one particular species. They were so vibrant, so spectacular, and impossible to miss.

Image by audubon.org

The Painted Bunting is often referred to as the most beautiful bird in America. Their vibrant coloring and shy nature have enraptured the hearts of many bird lovers. They even earned the nickname, nonpareil, which is French for “without equal”.

This species of bird mainly inhabits the south of the US and migrates to Mexico, Cuba, and the Caribbean during the winter. However, there have been rare sightings of the Painted Bunting in New York, Maryland, and even Pennsylvania. While these birds do like bird feeders, they primarily prefer to live in seclusion. They seek woodlands and dense shrubs. The Painted Bunting is an extremely timid and private bird. This natural shyness makes it very difficult to observe the species frequently. These little birds also love to eat all types of grass seeds. However, they do switch their diets to insects when breeding.

Painted Buntings are considered to be monogamous birds. Males will go to extreme lengths to gain a female’s affection. For example, two male birds will fight viciously over a female bird, sometimes to the point of death. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology points out that there is one very popular flirting technique in which the male divebombs the female to the ground and starts pecking at her. Romance is dead? Nay, it is alive.

While these lovely birds are not on the ‘endangered’ animal list, their population has been dropping steadily over the past few decades. The decline in densely forested areas in the United States leaves the species without a proper home. Sadly, habitat destruction is not the only issue. The Painted Bunting is often targeted for illegal trade. They are considered to be very popular birds to keep as pets in Mexico and parts of Central America. The capture and relocation of flocks harm the overall population. It would be such a shame to have these beautiful birds marked one day as extinct.

It is true; the Painted Bunting is possibly the most beautiful bird I’ve ever seen. I am so glad I had the opportunity to learn about the stunning creature at such a young age. What a wonderful thing it is to see a bird that so clearly exemplifies beauty.