Why are scientists studying Painted Buntings?
Unfortunately, Painted Bunting populations are declining. The eastern population of Painted Buntings breeds in a restricted range within the Atlantic Coastal Plain, from North and South Carolina to Georgia and Florida. Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) Data collected since 1966 show a 3.2% decline per year for Painted Buntings in the southeast region. The Painted Bunting’s decline may be due to a variety of factors, principally increased coastal development and new agricultural practices, both of which tend to clear shrub-scrub brush that is vital to breeding Painted Buntings that use early-successional habitats.
