Rare painted bunting sighting a ‘Christmas gem’ for some N.B. birders

The painted bunting usually calls the southern U.S. home and travels south at this time of year, but one decided to spend its Christmas holidays up north in Bayfield, N.B.

Alain Clavette, a birder for over 35 years, has spotted the painted bunting about four times in New Brunswick.

“This is a rare one, for sure, and I think because it is a such a colourful bird, it makes for a perfect little Christmas gem for a lot of birders,” he said.

Clavette said the bird was first spotted at a bird feeder by a local property owner, who then flagged it to a group of local birders.

Once the word got out, birders flocked to the area.

“It goes to the bird feeder to fuel up and then it goes back in the forest and comes back out, and then people sometimes wait there sitting by the house and they wait for like 40 minutes before the bird shows up,” said Clavette.

The bird has been coming to eat at a Bayfield resident’s bird feeder. (Chris Turner)

Clavette suspects the bird may have migrated in the opposite direction than it normally does — something known as a reverse migration — perhaps due to getting caught up in a windstorm.

Clavette said it is nearly impossible for the bird to fly back to the southern U.S. or to Mexico at this time of year because of the distance and cold weather it would encounter. For that reason, it will hunker down and stay where it has a food source.

He said if the painted bunting stays around a constant food source, it could survive the Canadian winter. But predators such as hawks and cats are a concern.

Birder Alain Clavette says the bird is likely to stick around its current food source. (Alain Clavette)

“That is the fear of everyone right now,” said Clavette, who did not disclose the location to maintain the property owner’s privacy and let the bird live in peace.

Clavette said he and some other people built a brush pile for the bird and gave the property owner tips on how to take care of it.

Jim Wilson, former president of the New Brunswick bird records committee, said there have been at least 20 reported sightings of painted buntings in the province in the last 38 years.

Jim Wilson said people are rooting for the painted bunting to survive the winter. (Jim Wilson)

“It is such a rare bird … it’s really curious how these end up here and it’s also interesting that they can be so hardy to survive at bird feeders,” he said.

He said the first painted bunting that showed up in the province was recorded in late 1987.

Wilson said he has heard about one that ended up on Grand Manan and was able to winter successfully. Another one that came to the island later was killed by a predator, he said.

He said people would like to see the bird fly back south next spring.

“Even we have to adapt to the cold … everybody is rooting for this bird right now,” said Wilson.