Gardener astounded by rare backyard visitor's arrival: 'I haven't seen one … since 1977'

A birdwatcher in Austin, Texas, was overjoyed to spot a rare and beautiful visitor in their yard, and they took to Reddit to share the experience.

"I got to witness another sighting of a painted bunting," wrote the excited user. "What a beautiful bird and a great day to see it!"

The original poster shared two photos of the extraordinary bird, which has a blue head, red chest, and a yellow-and-green back.

With those bright colors, the painted bunting is a bird watcher's delight. All About Birds shared this piece of trivia about the species, which is native to North America: "The French name of the painted bunting, nonpareil, means 'without equal,' a reference to the bird's dazzling plumage."

Currently, this bird isn't considered endangered, but some enthusiasts are seeing fewer of them around. "Lucky!" said one commenter in the post from two years ago. "I haven't seen one in person myself since 1977."

Many animals are more scarce these days thanks to shrinking habitats and increasing pesticide pollution. Combine those factors with Earth's rising temperature, and it's a hard time to be a bird.

If you want to do your part for the planet and increase your chances of spotting beautiful birds, all while saving money and time, you can. Just rewild part or all of your yard.

Replacing water-guzzling grass or non-native landscaping with native plants will help you create a low-maintenance yard that you'll love — and so will the wildlife. Flowers will attract pollinators and other beneficial bugs, and bugs will attract birds. The end result will be a flourishing garden that needs very little in the way of water or upkeep, and that gives you something fascinating to watch every day as the animals come and go.

You could even share your garden visitors online and be the envy of the community, like this Reddit user.

How often will you be gardening this summer? Every day 🥗 At least once a week 🥕 At least once a month 🌱 I don't garden 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.