Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris), Prescott, Yavapai County

This Painted Bunting was found and photographed by Sharon Welker on 14 and 15 May 2014

Painted Bunting is a rare but regular visitant to southeast Arizona during late summer and early fall and is casual at other times and areas.  While the pattern of migrants in Arizona suggests that fall migrants are wild birds, Painted Buntings are common cage birds in Mexico and it is generally impossible to know if birds are escapes or not, especially adult males or when seen outside of the normal fall migration. 

Males are unmistakable.

14 May 2014, photo by Sharon Welker

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