Length: 5.5 inches | Wingspan: 8.5 inches | Seasonality: Very rare visitor |
ID Keys: Male unmistakable, with red underparts, blue head, and lime-green patch on back. |
Perhaps
the most colorful of all North American songbirds, the Painted Bunting is
normally a bird of the southeastern U.S., and only occasionally strays north
of its normal range. The "Birds of South Dakota" (SDOU -- 2002) lists
only one sighting of the species in the state. They are typically
birds of brushy undergrowth, and can sometimes be difficult to observe.
Males of the species are known for their intense physical fights over
territory and mating rights, fights which sometimes even end in the death of
one of the combatants.
3) Audubon Guide - Painted Bunting
Click on the map below for a higher-resolution view |
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South Dakota Status: Accidental in the state. The SDOU's "Birds of South Dakota (2001) lists only one sighting in the state, a bird in Lawrence County in 1996. |