the unparallele unparalleled p
painted bunting One of the most striking visitors to Amelia Island each summer, the Painted Bunting is a diminutive bird that grabs your attention with its vivid coloring and beautiful song. STORY AND PHOTOS BY GAIL E. PFOH
D
uring the summer months, some of the most beautiful bird species in the country can be found on our island and in the surrounding ecosystems. Photographers and birders from all over flock to Amelia Island in summer to look for Swallowtailed Kites, which have flown here from Brazil because our island is home to their breeding grounds. Their tuxedo-like plumage of black-and-white, 49-inch wingspan, long forked tails, and graceful flight skills make Swallow-tailed Kites a thing of wonder and beauty. Those kites are found in only seven states, and only for a few months each year. Luckily for us, one of those states is Florida! The pretty-in-pink Roseate Spoonbill, the strawberryred Summer Tanager, and the pearl-gray Mississippi Kite are 37 AMELIA ISLANDER MAGAZINE •
also beautiful summer visitors to our area. But if you were to stand before your mirror and ask, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who on Amelia Island is the fairest summer visitor of all?” what would the answer be? Without a doubt, it would be the Painted Bunting! Stunning, vivid, and spectacular are just a few of the adjectives that immediately spring to mind to describe the Painted Bunting. In the French language, the Painted Bunting is called “nonpareil,” meaning without equal, which is the perfect moniker for them. Painted Buntings have a wingspan of about eight inches and they only weigh about half an ounce, yet they command attention where ever they are seen. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology notes that “with their vivid fusion of blue, green, yellow and red, male Painted Buntings seem to have flown straight out of a child’s coloring book.” The male has a striking cobalt-blue head, a lime-green back, and a bright red chest and rump. The females and immature males are a beautiful bright green. Females and immature males look (for the most part) the same and are often called “greenies.” If you see a greenie singing, you will know for sure it is an immature male because only the male of this species sings. continued on next page. JULY 2022
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