When do varied buntings arrive in New Mexico?
The Varied Bunting is a summer breeder in New Mexico — here is when to expect it, when it leaves, and how to be ready.
Varied Bunting timing in New Mexico
- Arrives
- Around April
- Leaves
- By September
- Status here
- Summer breeder
- Nesting season
- May–August
- Present roughly
- April–September
In New Mexico, varied buntings are present through the warm months, arriving around April and heading south again by September.
These windows are set by latitude: New Mexico sits in the middle part of this species' range, so timing here tracks the continental average closely. In any given year, weather can move the first arrivals by a week or two either way.
Month by month in this state
Highlighted months are when varied buntings are expected in New Mexico. The edges of the window are the interesting weeks — first arrivals and last departures vary most from year to year.
Getting ready before they arrive
The week before April is the time to act. Have feeders cleaned, filled and out by early April — the first varied buntings into New Mexico are scouting for reliable food, and a station that's ready early gets added to their route.
Once nesting begins around May, adults switch to protein-rich food for their young and visits to feeders become quick and purposeful. Expect the busiest activity at dawn.
What varied buntings eat while they're here
- Grass seeds, caterpillars and beetles
A Mexican border specialty of thorny canyon scrub; a birdbath is the best way to see one.
Full Varied Bunting diet guide → · Best feeder for varied buntings →
Native plants that hold varied buntings in New Mexico
Food keeps a migrant for a day; habitat keeps it for the season. These New Mexico-native plants are known to attract varied buntings:
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.
Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.
Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.
Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.
Nectar-rich in summer, seed for finches in fall.
Late-season bloom supports insects; seed for sparrows.
Fruit and seed plus nest sites for Cactus Wrens.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked
When do varied buntings arrive in New Mexico?
varied buntings typically arrive in New Mexico around April, with nesting underway by May. Timing can shift a week or two with the weather in any given year.
When do varied buntings leave New Mexico?
Most varied buntings have left New Mexico by September. They spend the winter farther south and return the following spring.
Do varied buntings stay in New Mexico all year?
No — in New Mexico the Varied Bunting is a summer breeder, present roughly April–September. Outside that window it is rarely seen in the state.
What should I put out before varied buntings arrive in New Mexico?
Have feeders up and clean by early April — first arrivals scout reliable food sources. Good offerings for this species: grass seeds, caterpillars and beetles.
Sources
- Varied Bunting — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Varied Bunting life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Varied Bunting — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — New Mexico
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.