Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 4.3–5.5 in
11–14 cm - Wingspan
- 8.3 in
21 cm - Weight
- 0.4–0.5 oz
11–13 g
Other Names
- Passerin varié (French)
- Colorín morado, Gorrión prusiano oriental, Gorrión morado, Mosaico (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Varied Bunting usually begins nesting in late May or early June, but in the absence of summer rains, may delay nest-building until August.
- Essentially nothing has been published about the natural history of the Varied Bunting in the heart of its range in Mexico.
Habitat
Scrub
Arid thorn brush, riparian areas, scrub forest, canyons, and desert washes.
Food
Insects
Insects, seeds, and fruit.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 2–5 eggs
- Egg Description
- Pale blue or green, with variable amount of speckling and spotting.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless with sparse down.
Nest Description
An open cup of grass and spider webs, placed near the outer branches of thorny shrubs.
Nest Placement
Shrub
Behavior
Ground Forager
Mated pair forages together, gleaning insects from leaves and pecking on the ground for seeds.
Conservation
Least Concern
Common cage bird in Mexico. Development of habitat for agriculture, mining, urban development, and other human uses may pose a threat.
Credits
- Groschupf, K. D, and C. W. Thompson. 1998. Varied Bunting (Passerina versicolor). In The Birds of North America, No. 351 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.