In the summer of 2006, three methods were established to begin our study of painted buntings on Bald Head Island. These three methods included feeder observations, transect counts and banding. This project will continue in 2007 with even more detailed observations and additional banding via mist netting. The following are some basic observations that were made by BHIC interns, staff and volunteers:

Males visit the feeder more often, but the females stay longer

Early morning and evening are the most popular times for feeding

Males appear to be quite territorial, often singing from the same exact branch and appearing agitated at the sound of another male bunting (behavior observed through the use of call-back tapes)

Feeders appeared more active in August with more juveniles and females than males; this is likely due to the fact that juveniles have hatched and fledged the nest, and the buntings further north in the state are beginning their southerly migration, using BHI as a stopover site to rest and refuel

Males stop virtually all singing by the end of July, indicating an end to the breeding season

Birds generally prefer fringe or edge habitats rather than the thickness of the maritime forest

 

Male painted buntings (Passerina ciris) are a brilliant combination of red, blue and green feathers – the most easily recognizable North American songbird. There are two distinct breeding populations in North America, but overall, the painted bunting has shown a significant decline across its entire range during the past 35 years. The breeding population along the east coast extends from North Carolina south to central Florida; these birds will typically winter in southern Florida or the northwestern Caribbean. Breeding Bird Survey data from 1966 to 2000 show a significant decline of 2.7% annually for painted buntings across its North American breeding range. The exact causes for decline in the painted bunting's population are not known, but the main culprit is likely habitat loss/degradation followed by cowbird parasitism and trapping for the pet trade on its wintering grounds. The east coast population, which is found only along a narrow coastal strip, is in a state of decline that can almost certainly be attributed to habitat loss, as emphasized by the expansive human population in this same area.

The habitat on BHI is perfect for painted buntings – coastal, scrubby shrub areas mixed with trees for foraging and breeding. In 2004, Audubon NC designated Bald Head Island as an Important Bird Area in particular due to the large number of breeding pairs of painted buntings (35-40) that the island supports. The buntings typically arrive in mid-April and stay until August; however, there are reports of birds staying all winter long, being seen at bird feeders. The males are heard (and often seen) perched high on a tree branch, singing to defend their territory and attract mates during the spring and early summer months.

The Painted Bunting Observer Team program was developed by Dr. Jamie Rotenberg, an ornithologist and Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington whose main research focus is the east coast population of painted buntings and developing strategies for sustaining their populations. The program is designed to use citizen science in aiding in the collection of important data on painted buntings. To learn more about the project or to become a PBOT volunteer, contact Dr. Jamie Rotenberg at pbot@uncw.edu or Maureen Dewire, Education Director/Senior Naturalist for the BHI Conservancy at maureen@bhic.org.

	Banded Bunting
Photo by Juanita Roushdy
Male Painted Bunting
Photo by Maureen Dewire