How to attract varied buntings to your yard
Varied Buntings respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 3 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. It arrives only to breed in 3, such as Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, so set up before spring arrival.
Plant what varied buntings use
These native plants are tied to the Varied Bunting in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Perennial | 3 | Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows. |
| Common sunflower Helianthus annuus | Perennial | 3 | Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed. |
| Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium | Perennial | 3 | Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos. |
| Rocky Mountain bee plant Cleome serrulata | Perennial | 3 | Nectar-rich in summer, seed for finches in fall. |
| Tall goldenrod Solidago altissima | Perennial | 3 | Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter. |
| Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Perennial | 3 | Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches. |
| Rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa | Shrub | 2 | Late-season bloom supports insects; seed for sparrows. |
| Palo verde Parkinsonia florida | Tree | 1 | Seed pods and insect-rich spring bloom. |
| Prickly pear Opuntia engelmannii | Shrub | 1 | Fruit and seed plus nest sites for Cactus Wrens. |
| Purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea | Perennial | 1 | Leave seed heads standing through fall and winter. |
Your list covers 3 plant layers (perennial, shrub, tree). Layering matters: mixing perennial, shrub, tree gives varied buntings food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Seeds and insects of desert thorn scrub.
- Warm months
- Grass seeds, caterpillars and beetles
- Cold months
- Migrates to Mexico
- At feeders
- Millet, Hulled sunflower
Feeder style matters as much as food: low ground tray under cover is the first choice for this bird. A Mexican border specialty of thorny canyon scrub; a birdbath is the best way to see one. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Cup low in a thorny shrub in a desert canyon.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 2–5 eggs
- Incubation
- 12–14 days
- Nestling period
- 10–11 days
- Broods per year
- 1–2 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around April in Arizona but not until May in New Mexico. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; a summer breeder won't appear until it returns in spring.
Frequently asked
What attracts varied buntings to a yard?
Food they actually eat (millet, hulled sunflower), native plants such as Black-eyed Susan, Common sunflower, Little bluestem, clean water and suitable nesting cover: cup low in a thorny shrub in a desert canyon.
What plants attract varied buntings?
Across the Varied Bunting's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus), Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Rocky Mountain bee plant (Cleome serrulata), Tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting varied buntings?
Nesting starts around April in Arizona and as late as May in New Mexico. Have cover, water ready a month before.
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
- 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.