Rose-bellied Bunting Passerina rositae Scientific name definitions

With its shocking color combination of turquoise and raspberry pink, Rose-bellied Bunting (Rosita's Bunting) is one of Mexico’s most distinctively plumaged birds.  Endemic to the Pacific Slope east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, it is found in southeastern Oaxaca and southwestern Chiapas. It occurs in moist to semi-arid woodlands at elevations of 150-800 m. The IUCN considers it Near Threatened due to its small range and threats of habitat loss. Rosita's Bunting, as the species is best known, was discovered by A. L. François Sumichrast a naturalist who resided in Orizaba before moving to the Pacific Slope of Oaxaca where he discovered this species. He named it after his wife, thinking that the bunting and his wife were the two most beautiful creatures he had seen.