The rainbow-colored celebrity of songbirds has arrived for his annual Raleigh spectacle, drawing hundreds of bird-nerds and shutterbugs to its stage in Dix Park.
For at least the last week, the male painted bunting has made a daily appearance near the park’s sunflower field, showing off its dazzling red, yellow and blue plumage.
Birders are trekking from as far as 150 miles away for a glimpse of the splashy avian rock star.
“He sings his heart out,” said Nancy Arehart, nature photographer, “but as far as I know, no female has been seen in the area. I wish we could find him a date.”
Getting relaxed
The Dix Park bunting craze dates back at least five years, when the bunting’s Raleigh migration started lighting up social media pages…