Credit: Max Henschel
North American field guide
Varied Bunting
Passerina versicolor
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Identification
Field notes
14 cm (5-6") Uncommon and local along Mexican border of southwestern United States.
Male: appears all black at a distance or in poor light. In good light; crown, face and rump are blue, bright red patch on nape, plum-red below and on back.
Female: plain gray-brown upperparts, slightly paler underside. No wing bars or distinctive stripes. Difficult to tell from female Indigo Bunting where ranges overlap.
Song: lively like Indigo Bunting's.
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Varied Bunting
Credit: Ignacio A. RodríguezBird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants · 2 rules
These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.
Varied Bunting (Male)
1 ruleRule 1 13 criteria · confidence 1
- What was the sex of the bird ?
- Male · Unknown
- Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?
- No · Unknown
- What colour was the BACK ?
- Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BELLY ?
- Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
- Uniform color · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the THROAT ?
- Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
- What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
- Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
- WHERE was the bird seen ?
- Southwestern United States
Varied Bunting (Female)
1 ruleRule 1 16 criteria · confidence 1
- What was the sex of the bird ?
- Female · Unknown
- What SIZE was the TAIL ?
- Short · Medium · Long · Very Long · Unknown
- What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?
- Uniform · Unknown
- What colour was the BACK ?
- Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
- Uniform color · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What colour was the THROAT ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
- What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?
- Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Crest of feathers on top of the head · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
- Was the HEAD striped ?
- No · Unknown
- What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
- Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Warbler-like · Sparrow-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
- WHEN was the bird seen ?
- Spring · Summer · Fall
- WHERE was the bird seen ?
- Southwestern United States