Birdwatchers Across NYC Flock To See Rare Male 'Painted Bunting'

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Christmas has come early for bird enthusiasts in Brooklyn.

A beautiful male "Painted Bunting" was first spotted in Prospect Park on Sunday.

Since then, it's been attracting birdwatchers from across the city.

Female buntings have been spotted in the past -- but the male's unique coloring is causing quite a stir.

With word quickly spreading, Brooklyn's newest celebrity could soon be getting a lot more attention.

"It's one of a small handful of records for New York City," Sean Sime of Windsor Terrace said. "It's a male, the colors of this bird are spectacular. It's like bird meets rainbow."

The Painted Bunting rarely makes it north of Florida, WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported.

However, he can be described as a Technicolor burst in the grayscale of Prospect Park near the ice-skating rink.

"He's a rock star. He really is," one woman told Diamond.

"Being the skeptic, I keep wondering if it's not somebody's pet that got loose," one man told Diamond.

"It's most definitely not," said Rob Bate, president of the Brooklyn Bird Club and Audubon Society member.

"And I tell ya, every expert in the area has been here to look at this bird and look at the pictures. They've all passed on it -- he's a genuine vagrant," Bate said.

The bunting os so rare in these part, hundreds have come with their binoculars and wide-angle lenses to get a look.