Spark Bird: Murry Burgess and the Painted Bunting

BirdNote^®
Spark Bird: Murry Burgess and the Painted Bunting
Written by Ariana Remmel

This is BirdNote.

Urban ornithologist and children’s author Murry Burgess has always been interested in wildlife, but studying birds was not part of her plan until a fortuitous scheduling conflict in college.

Murry Burgess: I was forced to take an ornithology class. It was the only thing that fit in my schedule, and I needed one of those ologies to fill out my credit hours.

Which is how Murry found herself on a class field trip to Dauphin Island, a beach town on the Gulf Coast of Alabama that’s a famous stop-over site for migratory birds. Murry was walking through the city but…

Murry Burgess: It was a really hot, really difficult day, and it was just like, oh my goodness, I'm done and I sat down against a tree and I was the first person to see the Painted Bunting across the street. And I was like, oh my goodness, it's so colorful. Look at that!

         [Painted Bunting]

The Painted Bunting was a dazzling male with blue, red, yellow, and green feathers. And perhaps more amazing than his plumage was everything this sparrow-sized bird had to overcome just to land in front of Murry.

Murry Burgess: Such a long migration trip. Had to have all of the fuel and the energy to get across the Gulf Coast. Had to avoid all the predators. And it was also avoiding the cars on the road as we were right there.

That encounter helped Murry realize that she can experience the joy of birds from anywhere.

Murry Burgess: I'm very much a local backyard birder, even if I see some of the same species over and over again. It really gives me this sense of like, place and belonging to kind of get familiar with my bird community.

Now Murry researches how urban environments impact birds, advocates for safety and inclusivity in the outdoors, and writes children’s books that inspire families to enjoy birds together. Her advice for folks interested in birding:

Murry Burgess: Just pick your favorite spot. It doesn't have to be like super nature-y or super remote. Just wherever you feel comfortable. It's like meeting new friends, like you just kind of start hanging out and the more and more you hang out, the more that relationship starts to build.

         [Painted Bunting]

For BirdNote, I’m Ariana Remmel.

This is Field Inclusive Week, an annual week of connection, learning, and empowerment for all field biologists and outdoor enthusiasts! This year’s virtual events build on a legacy of diversity, inclusion, and field safety. Learn how you can participate at fieldinclusive.org.

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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Producer: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin

Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Painted Bunting [ML577258291] recorded by J Holmes. 
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2026 BirdNote January 2026
Narrator: Ariana Remmel

ID# SparkBird-26-2026-01-19    SparkBird-26