Painted Bunting Eastern Bluebird
birds &
blossoms STORY AND PHOTOS BY GAIL E. PFOH
Perched on many of the beautiful shrubs blooming on Amelia Island this time of year, you’ll see equally stunning birds like Eastern Bluebirds and Painted Buntings.
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f you love birds and or blossoms, this might be your favorite time of the year. Blossoming shrubs and flowers on and around Amelia Island, such as azaleas and bottlebrush bushes, are in full bloom. Perching on these as they sing are incredibly beautiful birds. Our area is bursting with color this spring, like the vivid blue of our Eastern Bluebirds, the crimson red of male Northern Cardinals, and the emerald green of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Their colors brighten our days and heighten our awareness of why we love living or visiting here. You can increase your chances of seeing these beauties, and other colorful “neighbors,” by planting native plants and providing some water and food to supplement their diet. Local birds such as Carolina Wrens, Tufted Titmice, and Pine Warblers are nesting now. Breeding season means the adult birds need more nourishment because of the demands of parenting, and they have the added burden of providing food to their nestlings. These and other birds would be happy to find black oil sunflower seeds and homemade or store-bought suet in your yard. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology notes that Pine Warblers are “yellowish birds with olive backs, whitish bellies, and two 57 AMELIA ISLANDER MAGAZINE •
prominent white wingbars on gray wings. Adult males are the brightest; females and immatures are more subdued and can even appear gray-brown.” Pine Warblers weigh less than one penny and have a wingspan of approximately 8.5 inches. They enjoy finding suet in your yard. Painted Buntings have recently returned to the island and surrounding areas. With his brilliant blue head, greenish back, and red rump and belly, the male Painted Bunting is one of the most colorful birds found breeding in the United States. The female, as well as the immature male, is a bright yellow/green. Birders often call the females and immature males “greenies.” The only way to be sure if a Painted Bunting is a male is if you see the bird singing. Only the male Painted Bunting sings. Painted Buntings spend their breeding season here before moving south in the fall. To attract them, be sure to offer a fresh supply of white millet in your feeders. A tube feeder with small perches works well for them and keeps larger birds away. Like all birds, they enjoy fresh water from a fountain or clean birdbath. Eastern Bluebirds with their royal blue and red coloring are always popular. They weigh only about one ounce and have continued on next page APRIL 2021
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