INDIGO BUNTING
INDIGO BUNTING – (Passerina cyanea) – (See images below)
DESCRIPTION: The Indigo Bunting is a passerine. The adult male in the summer is all blue except for the wings and tail, which are black with blue edges. It is brown in the winter. The female also is brown but year-round. Juvenile males are a mix of blue and brown. The bill is grey-silvery. Bird length is about 12 cm (5 inches).
VOICE: https://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Passerina-cyanea – This bird sings melodiously from treetops.
NAME: ‘Bunting’ has an obscure origin and is given to several sparrow-like birds (Choate). Latin genus name ‘Passerina’ means ‘sparrow-like’, and Latin species name ‘cyanea’ means ‘dark blue’.
HABITAT: Open woodland, forest edges, farmland.
DIET: Insects, arthropods, berries, seeds.
NESTING: Nest is built in a tree or shrub near the ground. Between two and three white eggs are laid, incubated by the female. Chicks fed mostly by female.
DISTRIBUTION: Breeding range covers southern half of Canada from the Prairies, and most of the USA except the Rockies. The Maritimes are situated at the northeast edge of the breeding territory. Wintering range includes southern Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Distribution Map: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_bunting#/media/File:IndigoBuntingRangeMapCropped.png
ON PEI: Does not breed on Prince Edward Island, uncommon to rare in the spring, occasional in summer and fall.
CONSERVATION: Population large and widespread, not currently at risk.
SIMILAR SPECIES: Blue grosbeak (male), Painted Bunting (female)
REFERENCES: https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/indigo-bunting (Missouri Department of Conservation)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_bunting
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Indigo_Bunting/id
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/indigo-bunting
https://identify.whatbird.com/obj/203/_/Indigo_Bunting.aspx
Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas (Indigo Bunting)
Birds of Pennsylvania (Indigo Bunting)
DESCRIPTION: The Indigo Bunting is a passerine. The adult male in the summer is all blue except for the wings and tail, which are black with blue edges. It is brown in the winter. The female also is brown but year-round. Juvenile males are a mix of blue and brown. The bill is grey-silvery. Bird length is about 12 cm (5 inches).
VOICE: https://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Passerina-cyanea – This bird sings melodiously from treetops.
NAME: ‘Bunting’ has an obscure origin and is given to several sparrow-like birds (Choate). Latin genus name ‘Passerina’ means ‘sparrow-like’, and Latin species name ‘cyanea’ means ‘dark blue’.
HABITAT: Open woodland, forest edges, farmland.
DIET: Insects, arthropods, berries, seeds.
NESTING: Nest is built in a tree or shrub near the ground. Between two and three white eggs are laid, incubated by the female. Chicks fed mostly by female.
DISTRIBUTION: Breeding range covers southern half of Canada from the Prairies, and most of the USA except the Rockies. The Maritimes are situated at the northeast edge of the breeding territory. Wintering range includes southern Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Distribution Map: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_bunting#/media/File:IndigoBuntingRangeMapCropped.png
ON PEI: Does not breed on Prince Edward Island, uncommon to rare in the spring, occasional in summer and fall.
CONSERVATION: Population large and widespread, not currently at risk.
SIMILAR SPECIES: Blue grosbeak (male), Painted Bunting (female)
REFERENCES: https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/indigo-bunting (Missouri Department of Conservation)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_bunting
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Indigo_Bunting/id
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/indigo-bunting
https://identify.whatbird.com/obj/203/_/Indigo_Bunting.aspx
Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas (Indigo Bunting)
Birds of Pennsylvania (Indigo Bunting)
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| Indigo bunting, Dunedin, PEI, John Read |
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| Indigo bunting, side view, PEI, John Read |