Painted Bunting

Passerina ciris

Silhouette: Jonah Duckles · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyCardinalidae (Cardinals and Allies)
GenusPasserina (North American Buntings)
SpeciesPasserina ciris (Painted Bunting)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Joshua Tree National Park

2 Verified sightings at Joshua Tree National Park From 2019 to 2026

2,023 Verified sightings across all 43 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Painted Bunting

The painted bunting (Passerina ciris) is a species of bird in the cardinal family, Cardinalidae. It is native to North America. The bright plumage of the male develops beginning in the second year of life; in the first year, they can be distinguished from the female only by close inspection.

The painted bunting was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Emberiza ciris. Linnaeus based his account mainly on the "Painted Finch" that had been described and illustrated in 1730 by the English naturalist Mark Catesby in his book The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands. Linnaeus specified the type locality as America but this was restricted to the state of South Carolina by the American Ornithologists' Union in 1931. The specific epithet ciris is the Latin name for a mythical bird, from Ancient Greek κειρις/keiris for an unidentified bird. The painted bunting is now one of seven species placed in the genus Passerina that was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot.

Two subspecies are recognised: P. c. ciris (Linnaeus, 1758) –... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Joshua Tree National Park

Passerina cyanea

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Passerina amoena

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Passerina caerulea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Piranga ludoviciana

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Cardinalis sinuatus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Piranga olivacea

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Pheucticus melanocephalus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Piranga rubra

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Pheucticus ludovicianus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Spiza americana

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Corvus corax

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Haemorhous mexicanus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
2	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
3	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
4	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
5	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
6	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
7	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
8	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
9	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
10	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
11	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
12	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
13	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
14	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
15	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
16	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
17	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
18	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
19	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
20	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
21	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
22	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
23	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
24	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
25	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
26	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	<5%
27	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	<5%
28	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
29	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
30	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
31	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
32	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
33	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
34	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
35	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
36	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
37	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
38	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
39	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
40	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
41	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
42	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
43	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data

← Back to Joshua Tree National Park

Painted Bunting

About the Painted Bunting

Recent sightings of Painted Bunting in Joshua Tree National Park

Closest Relatives at Joshua Tree National Park

Indigo Bunting

Lazuli Bunting

Blue Grosbeak

Western Tanager

Pyrrhuloxia

Scarlet Tanager

Black-headed Grosbeak

Summer Tanager

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Dickcissel

Common Raven

House Finch

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found