Rare rainbow-colored bird spotted in unlikely place
New York's most colorful new visitor has a coat so unique it will be the envy of the hippest of Brooklynites.
The painted bunting, a bird whose rainbow-toned feathers make it really stand out from the neighborhood pigeons, has been spotted in Brooklyn's Prospect Park in recent days.
The painted bunting usually lives in the southern United States and spends its winters in tropical climes, which makes the New York visit a rare surprise, and has local bird-watchers flocking to catch sight of the rare species.
"Prospect Park's current celebrity is even more stunning in real life than all his pictures," wrote Instagram user @daisylanepaul in the caption of a photo she took of the multi-hued bird.
The painted bunting was first spotted Sunday by Keir Randall near the park's LeFrak Skating Rink, birder Paul Chung told CBS News in an email. Since Randall's discovery, additional sightings have been making the social media rounds.
The painted bunting normally breeds in southern states like Texas and Louisiana, according to Audubon, and migrates to Mexico, Central America, Cuba, the Bahamas, and southern Florida. Occasionally, a few stragglers will head north, but sightings like this are rare.
