Painted bunting

Passerina ciris

Male wood ducks and pheasants are beautiful, for sure, but many Kansans think painted buntings are our most gorgeous bird; with their blue head, red breast and vibrant green wings. Most who spend much time watching wildlife can vividly remember the first time they saw one of the 5 1/2-inch tall birds in Kansas.

Despite such vibrance, painted buntings can be difficult to find, even in areas with a healthy population of the birds. Painted buntings like brushy or open woodlands. The Chautauqua Hills and Red Hills are the parts of Kansas with the best painted bunting populations, though they can be found in most eastern Kansas counties and alone riparian areas out into western Kansas.

This is the time our nesting birds return to Kansas for the summer. Most will migrate southward again in late August.

This story was originally published May 5, 2017 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Painted bunting."