For many years we have been longing to spot a painted bunting to add to our birdwatching bucket list. About a year ago we spotted a male and female painted bunting hopping around our bushes. They appeared to be attracted to some weeds under the bush which were seeds. After this initial sighting, we have seen the male painted bunting twice in the same area, with the latest sighting occurring about a week ago. In the photo below the painted bunting is seen feeding on grass seed.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, the painted bunting is one of the most sharply declining songbirds in the Eastern United States. This is likely due to habitat loss as well as illegal smuggling of the bird for the pet industry. We were both surprised and intrigued to see this beautiful songbird. We hope to spot this bird in our backyard again in the future.