Painted Bunting (male)
Photo by Vicki Rogerson
1) Live in "south" Florida and feed birds between October and April. This may also apply to Painted Buntings that breed in northern FL and farther north. Painted Buntings feed on grass and other seeds. They may eat sunflower but they much prefer white millet. White millet can be found in mixes that stores sell to attract finches or we have been lucky to find bags of white millet at a local feed store. Small bags are more expensive so if you can store seed (dry and in critter proof containers) some of you might ask about larger bags. Don't be confused with red millet - it is that large round, red seed used as filler in inexpensive seed mixes and a lot of birds won't even touch it.
2) Buntings like to see around them when they eat but they are shy/cautious. Having plantings (cover) close to a feeder but room (line of sight) around the feeder seems essential. They like to have a pathway of plants from somewhere else (night roost??) to this feeder.
3) Caged feeders help Painted Buntings feel secure.
Text of handout:
Painted Buntings are one of the most beloved birds in
Florida. You can attract them to your yard by trying these:
·
Feed white
millet.
·
Provide low-lying, dense shrubs near your feeder
for cover.
·
Place your feeder near cover but allow a view of
the surroundings for safety.
·
Use a feeder that has a cage or wire to keep
larger birds and mammals out. *Plans for one type below
Painted Buntings on the east coast breed in northern Florida,
Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. They migrate south as early as
mid-August, but the majority arrive in central and south Florida in early
October. Most return north by March, but
some remain until April.
PAINTED
BUNTING: A SPECIES IN DECLINE AND A NEED
FOR STUDY
It is well known that Painted Bunting numbers are dropping. Before this species gets to an endangered level, studies are being conducted by the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) and the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNC). These groups are mostly studying the breeding populations. In Florida, the Painted Bunting Banding Team is working with over-wintering Painted Buntings and color banding them. UNC has a web page to track Painted Buntings in any season. Data can be submitted there.
www.paintedbuntings.org
It is well known that Painted Bunting numbers are dropping. Before this species gets to an endangered level, studies are being conducted by the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) and the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNC). These groups are mostly studying the breeding populations. In Florida, the Painted Bunting Banding Team is working with over-wintering Painted Buntings and color banding them. UNC has a web page to track Painted Buntings in any season. Data can be submitted there.
www.paintedbuntings.org
The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on that page have a lot
of information.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Let us band your birds.
Let us band your birds.
If you have Painted Buntings and your yard is banding
friendly, your birds can be banded with color bands that will let you identify
individual birds. Your birds can then be
reported to UNC. Resightings of your
birds provide important data that will be used to help protect Painted Buntings.
MAKING YOUR YARD
BANDING FRIENDLY
·
Leave some room around your feeders to allow
placement of nets.
·
Consider feeding on the ground or on a short
table big enough to hold a trap (2 by 3 feet min).
·
Try to determine where the birds fly through
your yard.
·
Email the banders at keepbirding2@yahoo.com
MORE INFORMATION
Banders are highly trained to protect the birds as much as
possible. There are safe methods of
handling birds. Birds are used to
constant stress and they handle banding well.
The Painted Bunting Banding Team also runs a banding station
at Possum Long, a property owned by Audubon of Martin County. You can follow the banding activities, past
and present, at their blog.
brdbander.blogspot.com
brdbander.blogspot.com
In this blog you can also find news and photos of the
Painted Bunting banding at the pages link in the upper right hand corner.
IF YOU SEE A
BANDED BUNTING
*Try to note the 4 colors and record them in this
order: upper left,
lower left, upper right, lower right.
*One of the bands will be a metal band and should be noted
as silver. Another band has two colors
and is called a split band. Record it as
“split” and note the two colors. The black/white
split is used in Florida in winter.
THE REPORTING OF ANY BANDED BUNTING PROVIDES IMPORTANT DATA IN
THE EFFORT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE SPECIES!!
*Note if it is green or male. Green birds are either females or young
males. Males are unmistakably
colored. It takes almost a year and a
half for a male to obtain its vibrant colors.
In the winter, no one can tell if a green is a young male or female.
*Report the bird and its band colors to:
·
www.paintedbuntings.org (UNC website data entry)
AND
AND
·
keepbirding2@yahoo.com (bander’s email)
* Feeder Plans
There a lot of people to thank in the making of these plans. One of our hosts had large scale feeders like this (and fed at least 100 Painted and many Indigo Buntings) and were willing to share and help us make these plans J & J built us a feeder that is at Possum Long in Stuart. Pat & Bruce built several more and there is now one at DuPuis Environmental area outside of Stuart and 3 more at Possum Long. I don't like to use full names on the internet but I hope you know who you are and how much this will mean to Painted Buntings.
The size of the feeder really isn't important though it helps to have plans already at hand. I know folks who have made taller versions so they could see it in their yard. I know folks who have enclosed an existing area near their porch. The important part is the size of the fencing and to spread the fencing just enough to let birds in and keep squirrels etc out. You can place seed on the bottom platform and/or hang a feeder inside.
Feeding Enclosure
- BUILDING A BIRD FEEDER ENCLOSURE
- Material List:1- Roll 1” X 2” galvanized wire mesh (TSC Ft Pierce)
- 8- 2 X 2 X 8 ft pressure treated lumber
2 – 24” X 24” X
1/2” Exterior grade plywood
1 – 24” X 26” X 1/2” Exterior grade plywood
1 – Box 2 1/2” drywall screws2 – small packages galvanized 3/4” fence staples
1 - hook for hanging bird feeder
2 – small hinges
1 – hook and eye latchCutting1. Cut 2 of the 2 X 2s to 72 " - front legs
1 – 24” X 26” X 1/2” Exterior grade plywood
1 – Box 2 1/2” drywall screws2 – small packages galvanized 3/4” fence staples
1 - hook for hanging bird feeder
2 – small hinges
1 – hook and eye latchCutting1. Cut 2 of the 2 X 2s to 72 " - front legs
Crimping the fencing to allow entrance in the 1" dimension
3. Install Shelves
a)
Insert lower
shelf into frame. Leave loose so it can be removed for cleaning if necessary.
b)
Install feeder
hook into upper shelf (optional).
c)
Attach shelf to
upper shelf support with 4 screws.
4. Add Roof
a)
Trim mesh on
sides and back to allow roof attachment.
b)
Assemble roof by
attaching drip edge to 4 sides of 24 X 26 plywood sheet. Make drip edge by
ripping 2 X 2 in half.
c)
Attach roof to
top of frame.
d)
Optionally staple
plastic sheeting to top for weather protection.
5. Add Door
a)
Assemble the door
frame. Check fit in back opening of cage. Allow sufficient clearance to open
and close door.
b)
Attach mesh to
door and crimp as above.
c)
Attach door to
cage with small hinges. Install latch.
Trim all exposed wire ends as flush as
possible to avoid injury.
just wondering ...How do you keep the sparrows out?
ReplyDeleteThe mesh is small enough
ReplyDelete