There have been two painted bunting studies on Spring Island. Click on the link to see more. In addition, we have links to further information about this species.

• Survivorship of Painted Buntings in the Southeast
• Nesting Ecology of the Painted Bunting
• Recommended Painted Bunting Links

These painted buntings were caught in Cuba. The cage bird trade has contributed to overall painted bunting declines.

Survivorship of Painted Buntings in the Southeast

Paul Sykes
U.S.Biological Survey Study 1999-2007

Since 1999, Paul Sykes has been monitoring breeding populations of painted buntings at nine study sites along the southeastern coast between northern Florida and central North Carolina.  Paul’s study has revealed that painted buntings regularly live to be over 6 years old and some are now over 10 years old.  Buntings return to the same location to breed each year, but they will fly up to two miles to visit a feeding area – once Paul caught 80 buntings at a single feeder in 6 hours at Blackbeard Island, GA!  In nature they require dense thickets of coastal shrubs, such as wax myrtle and yaupon, and areas with wild grasses laden with seed.  Buntings are abundant on undeveloped barrier and marsh islands, and persist in developed areas if shrub thickets and unmowed grassy areas are still present.

Threats to buntings locally include cats, both pet and feral.  Buntings are vulnerable to cats because they do their mating ritual displays on the ground, during which time they are less vigilant.  Also, the fledglings usually stay near the ground.

During the winter months painted buntings migrate south to Cuba and other Caribbean islands.  Here they are vulnerable to the cage bird trade.  A conservation biologist visiting western Cuba observed that 3 trappers caught over 700 painted buntings in one week! 

Nesting Ecology of the Painted Bunting in Two Habitat Types in South Carolina
(Spring Island & Webb Wildlife Center) 2002-2003
Jay O. Garcia, M.S. Thesis, Forest Resources, Clemson University

Nest predation was the primary cause of nest failure in the 57 painted bunting nests found.  On Spring Island 17 (65%) of 26 nests were successful, whereas only 10 (32%) of 31 nests were successful at Webb Wildlife Center, an inland site in Hampton County, SC.   Nests constructed in hanging masses of Spanish moss had lower rates of predation than those located in shrubs.  Snakes were thought to be the primary nest predators, although two nests showed signs of being disturbed by an avian predator, such as a blue jay or crow.

Painted Bunting Links

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/htm96/map617/ra6010.html - The USGS site with photos, a breeding density distribution map, Christmas Bird Count map, song example and other info.

http://www.fws.gov/Athens/factsheets/painted_bunting_brochure_for_public.pdf - A Joe Meyers production featuring an excellent brochure with management information.

http://museum.nhm.uga.edu/gawildlife/birds/passeriformes/pciris.html - A Georgia DNR and Georgia Natural History Museum site featuring photos, a species write-up and a state range map.