Painted Bunting
Passerina ciris

f6.7 @ 1/200s, ISO:1250, Nikon D3S w 500mm and 1.7X teleconverter

\"Painted Bunting,\" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The painted bunting is a species of bird in the Cardinal family, Cardinalidae, that is native to North America. The bright plumage of the male, only comes in in the second year of life, in the first year they can only be distinguished from the female by close inspection. The male painted bunting is often described as the most beautiful bird in North America and as such has been nicknamed nonpareil, or \"without equal\". Its colors, dark blue head, green back, red rump, and underparts, make it extremely easy to identify, but it can still be difficult to spot since it often skulks in foliage even when it is singing. The plumage of female and juvenile painted buntings is green and yellow-green, serving as camouflage. Once seen, the adult female is still distinctive, since it is a brighter, truer green than other similar songbirds. Adult painted buntings can measure 12–14 cm (4.7–5.5 in) in length, span 21–23 cm (8.3–9.1 in) across the wings and weigh 13–19 g (0.46–0.67 oz).

Merritt Island NWR, Titusville, Florida

01/15/2016