Bunting – Varied

Passerina versicolor

Most Varied Buntings live in Mexico and never leave. Some live in the same territory all year. Quite a few migrate north to breed, and a handful of these will cross a few miles over the border and visit the USA. Aside from a trip to Mexico, our best chance to meet these birds is to time a spring or early summer visit to southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, or southwestern Texas.

There are four subspecies recognized by science:

P. v. versicolor crosses the border with Mexico and summers in south New Mexico, and in Texas near the Rio Grande River from Big Bend to the Gulf of Mexico.
P. v. pulchra is resident in southern Baja California (Mexico), but some may migrate over the Gulf of California to Sonora and Sinaloa.
P. v. dickeyae breed in Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico.
P. v. purpurascens lives in southern Mexico and Guatemala.

I first met Varied Buntings on South Padre Island in May-2021. Later, in June-2023, I met more of them at Kickapoo Caverns State Park near Brackettville Texas. The Texas birds were presumably P. v. versicolor.

Range Map for Bunting – Varied — *Range Map*

13 Photos

Varied Bunting - Passerina versicolor — **Varied Bunting**
*(Passerina versicolor)*

**Description:**
I originally believed this bird to be a female Indigo Bunting, but later learned it was a female Varied Bunting. Tuesday night’s winds at South Padre Island (Texas) did not produce the big warbler fallout we hoped for at the Convention Center. Still, there were several birding surprises in store for those of us who showed up to find birds.
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**Date Taken:** 2021:05:02 15:56

**Location:**

Convention Center
South Padre Island, Texas
United States
9.84 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/750

**File Name:** VariedBunting_D5X5090_SPI-ConventionCtr

© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com

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Pin It — **Varied Bunting**
*(Passerina versicolor)*

**Description:**
I originally believed this bird to be a female Indigo Bunting, but later learned it was a female Varied Bunting. Tuesday night’s winds at South Padre Island (Texas) did not produce the big warbler fallout we hoped for at the Convention Center. Still, there were several birding surprises in store for those of us who showed up to find birds.
Read More

**Date Taken:** 2021:05:02 15:56

**Location:**

Convention Center
South Padre Island, Texas
United States
9.84 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/750

**File Name:** VariedBunting_D5X5090_SPI-ConventionCtr

© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com

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Varied Bunting

Passerina versicolor

I originally believed this bird to be a female Indigo Bunting, but later learned it was a female Varied Bunting. Tuesday night’s winds at South Padre Island (Texas) did not produce the big warbler fallout we hoped for at the Convention Center. Still, there were several birding surprises in store for those of us who showed up to find birds.

Varied Bunting

Passerina versicolor

Varied Bunting

Passerina versicolor

Female buntings are not as showy as their male counterparts. Tuesday night’s winds at South Padre Island (Texas) did not produce the big warbler fallout we hoped for at the Convention Center. Still, there were several birding surprises in store for those of us who showed up to find birds.