The painted bunting (Passerina ciris) is often described as the most beautiful bird in North America and as such has been nicknamed nonpareil, or "without equal". It can be difficult to spot as it often skulks in foliage – thickets, woodland edges with riparian thickets, shrubbery and brushy areas – even when it is singing. The bright plumage of the male only comes in the second year of life; in the first year they can only be distinguished from the female by close inspection. It is the only bird in the U.S. to have a blue head and red underparts.