When conservation ecologist Clark Rushing began studying Painted Buntings a few years ago, he stumbled upon a mystery: exactly where the birds go in winter and in what numbers. Each piece of evidence seems to raise more questions than it answers, deepening the migratory uncertainty surrounding the brilliant but declining songbird.

Larks are well documented in their breeding territories in dense thickets throughout the southeastern United States. They even perch on feeders, the males delighting backyard birders with their bright splashes of red, blue and green, seemingly drawn by a preschooler (females, although not as colorful, it has a striking green color).

But ornithologists have a weaker grasp of their fall journeys. They know that buntings head to southern Florida, as well as the Bahamas and Cuba, but with the exception of Florida, no annual survey is as effective as the Christmas Bird Count. What records do exist are often conflicting. A decade-old study synthesizing historical data found that in the Bahamas, for example, they were variously described as “common,” “uncommon winter visitors,” and “uncommon winter visitors.” easy to find in winter.” The same is true in Cuba.

Deciphering the winter habitat of buntings and their relative abundance may be key to understanding the recent decline in the eastern population (a separate population west of the Painted Buntings in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas are considered stronger). Those declines are not uniform. For example, Bunting numbers in the Carolinas are stable or even increasing, while in Florida and coastal Georgia they are decreasing.

“Our goal was to see if there were some broadly consistent patterns associated with declining populations in where most of them spend the winter.” “At least that’s one way to generate hypotheses. If we see that a declining population is more likely to spend the winter in Cuba and a stable population is coming to South Florida, that could suggest whether there is a problem in Cuba.”

Since 2017, Rushing, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center biologist Scott Sillett and Cornell Lab Ornithology associate Viviana Ruiz-Gutierrez have attached 180 geolocators to Painting Buntings in the four southeastern states where the population breeds. So far, they have recovered nearly three dozen devices, essentially light sensors attached to the bird via a miniature backpack, secured by a small strap that fits around the bird’s legs. It. The sensors record sunrise and sunset times, translating into the bird’s relative latitude and longitude over a range of about 100 miles. They are not as accurate as GPS tags, but they would be too heavy for bunting, which is about 3/4 the weight.

Painted Buntings are an ideal species to study because they tend to visit birders, Rushing said. “We can sit next to these feeders and catch dozens of them at once.”

Aaron Given, assistant wildlife biologist for the Town of Kiawah Island in South Carolina, agrees. He founded Painted Buntings there to conduct his own research over the past decade and now volunteers with Rushing’s project. “For the most part, adult birds are very loyal to one area,” he said. “If I catch an adult hunting in an established territory, I will likely catch it in the same yard at the same bird feeder the following year.”

In recent years, North American biologists have turned their attention to the fate of migratory birds such as the Kirtland’s Warbler in their wintering grounds. Scientific models show that deforestation and drought will worsen across the tropics in the coming decades. Increasingly intense storms destroying winter habitat are another concern. And because of their distinctive plumage, nightingales are especially susceptible to being trapped for the pet trade, especially if there is a lack of enforcement of wild bird protection measures in their winter territories.

Now, scientists are tabulating the data they just received from the geolocation device manufacturer as they prepare to attach more devices to the birds this spring and summer. Ultimately, researchers hope that by determining exactly where buntings appear in winter, they can target deeper monitoring and conservation efforts at strategic locations. They have now established relationships with ornithologists in Cuba.

Besides wanting to help preserve their habitat, both Sillett and Rushing confessed another reason they researched Painted Buntings. “They were amazing,” Sillett said. “It is probably the most beautiful migratory songbird ever to breed in North America.”

Therefore, Painted Bunting becomes a perfect ambassador. “We think they are great in terms of outreach and education on issues related to migratory bird decline,” Rushing said. “People just gravitate toward them.”