The French name for the Painted Bunting, nonpareil, means “without equal,” a reference to the bird’s colorful, eye-catching plumage. Painted Buntings were so sought after for their beauty and novelty, they were illegally trapped and sold in the early 1900s in droves to satisfy the demand for them in Europe as cagebirds. This practice continues today, despite conservation efforts to curb this illegal trade. Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology