Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
(Cardinalidae)
5.5” long. The Indigo Bunting is a small sized bird with a small conical bill. The male Indigo Bunting is a striking bird with an overall bright blue plumage with blackish wings and tail with blue edges. The female is quite different as it is dark brown on the upperparts and warm brown on the underparts with faint dark streaks and indistinct wing bars. In the fall the male looks similar to the female but without the diffuse streaking. The first spring male shows a variable amount of light and/or brownish spots on the blue feathering as it acquires its full breeding plumage.
The Indigo Bunting is a common breeder usually arriving in mid May although it can be found as early as very late April. It departs by mid October.
Indigo Buntings live in shrubby areas and weedy fields. They eat insects and forage in trees, shrubs, and on the ground. The bird is a constant singer that sings even during the hottest part of the day, usually from a high perch. Males are strong defenders of their territory and it is not uncommon to see them chasing other males. However males sometimes allow more than one mate to nest on their territory and females often mate with more than one male in a nesting attempt. The song is a series of varied strident phrases that are usually paired “sweet. sweet, sweeter, sweeter, here, here,” that often has an added trilled ending.
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