Indigo Bunting
Updated: Apr. 24, 2020During the breeding season, pairs of Indigo Buntings and other avian species often feed and bathe separately. It may help them avoid being preyed upon at the same time.
Photos
Information
Scientific Name: Passerina cyanea.
Family: Cardinal.
Length: 5 inches.
Wingspan: 8 inches.
Distinctive Markings: Male is completely blue during breeding season; plumage is mottled with gray at other times of year. Female is plain brown with buff-colored streaks and a hint of blue in the wings.
Nest: A cup-shaped nest is hidden in shrubs or low trees, sometimes in tall weeds. The female lays three or four bluish-white eggs.
Voice: Rapid double notes, “sweet-sweet, zee-zee, seer-seer, sip-sip.”
Habitat: Overgrown fields, orchards, roadsides, thickets and open spaces near woods.
Diet: Seeds, insects, grains and berries.
Backyard Favorites: Nyjer and birdbaths.
Bird Song & Range Map
Listen to the Indigo Bunting’s song and learn where to spot them!
Bird songs provided by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Range maps provided by Kaufman Field Guides, the official field guide of Birds & Blooms.
