A lovely bunting donning a waistcoat in shades of rose pink and electric blue!
THE BUNTING WITH ROSE BELLIES
The Rosita’s bunting, also known as the rose-bellied bunting (Passerina rositae), is a bird that ranges in length from 3.5 to 14.5 cm (5.3 to 5.7 in) and weighs between 19.5 and 20.5 g (0.69 and 0.72 oz). The male’s electric blue upperparts, which gradually lighten to darker in the direction of the tail, contrast with his purplish-blue head. His belly and vent area are salmon pink, his throat and chest blue, and his chin greyish.
The head and upper body of the mature female, on the other hand, are gray-brown with a bluish tint towards the rump.
Her chest and abdomen are pinkish-beige, with her throat being warmer and her lower tummy being paler.
Only a very little portion of southern Mexico’s pacific slope is home to this rare bird.
The preferred habitats of the rose-bellied bunting are thorny scrub and semideciduous woods.
In the bottom to middle levels of its habitat, the rose-bellied bunting forages by alone or in couples. It feeds on the seeds of grasses and fruit from shrubs and trees.
Typically, these birds are observed alone or in couples, especially during the breeding season. Two nests were reported in June and July of last year, despite the fact that nothing is known about breeding or nesting behaviour. The nests were constructed from fine weed stems, shredded bark, and dead leaves arranged in an open cup. One was constructed at a height of 1.5 metres, while the other was erected at a height of 4 metres. There were three or four eggs within.
The rose-bellied bunting’s restricted distribution, which may be shrinking due to habitat loss and infrastructure development, has led the IUCN to classify it as Near Threatened.