Painted Bunting: Song

Singing male Passerina ciris

The songs of the Painted Bunting are not quite like that of other members of the Passerina genus in North America. There is no repetition of syllables (notes), they sing more than one song, and the song sung has a structure to it. While hard to discern by hearing alone, when made visual these difference become obvious. The song of the Painted Bunting contains three parts: a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning of the song contains just a handful of short, almost chirp-like notes that are sometimes omitted completely. The middle of the song contains more complex syllables, rarely omitting any, and often containing more than four syllables. The end of the song is the most versatile, where notes can be changed, interchanged, or sometimes omitted.

A repertoire is a set of songs, the number varying per bird and species. The summer repertoire of the Painted Bunting can range from two to more than four songs. Within those four songs, there can be anywhere from two to more than twenty versions of one song as determined by the end notes. A single song contains on average around twelve to fifteen syllables. It should be noted that the song description is that of the Painted Bunting found in the central parts of the United States. Still not widely accepted, there is the suggestion not often followed to separate those Painted Buntings from the ones found in the east. If that is followed, then what I am describing is the song of Passerina ciris pallidior not Passerina ciris ciris. Research has not yet been published on the difference in song between these two.