By Casey First
The Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) is a small bird of the family Cardinalidae and is a close relative to the Painted and Varied buntings. They are often referred to as “blue canaries” or “blue finches.” The male Indigo Bunting is blue all over, with darker blue hues towards the crown and more subtle turquoises and even hints of purple trailing down towards the tail. His wings have accents of black extending to the tips. His female counterpart appears much drabber with a brown overall color, a white throat and only accents of blue here and there. Like several other species of birds, the Indigo Bunting is a sexually dimorphic species. The male only adorns its tell-tale blue color when breeding. In non-breeding season, the male’s coat is an unassuming brown like that of the female and juvenile. About the size of a house finch or sparrow, these stocky and plump little birds have a short tail and a short, silver-gray, tapered bill.
Indigo Bunting. Stephanie Sipp, illustrator
These birds prefer habitat close to the ground in areas like overgrown roadside patches, and thick grasses and brush, usually close to where open fields meet forests. They are, however, often found at the edges of swamps, and in some parts of the US, they are found near streams.
For those of us here in Western North Carolina (and the majority of the eastern US, including parts of the Southwest and southern Canada), the Indigo Bunting visits and breeds each summer, arriving from their wintering grounds in southern Florida extending south to parts of Mexico and northern South America. They are long-distance migrators, traveling as much as 1,500 miles one way. They were one of the first species of birds to demonstrate to scientists in the 1960s that birds rely on stars to guide them during long overnight migratory journeys.
Grass seeds, thistles and goldenrods are mainstays in the Indigo Bunting’s diet. They also love to forage on strawberries, elderberries, serviceberries and blueberries. During the warmer summer months when insects are plentiful, they will find protein and nutrition in small insects like cicadas, grasshoppers and crickets. If you are lucky enough to have one at your feeder, try offering thistle, fine sunflower chips, white millet or even cracked corn.
Indigo Buntings won’t nest in a backyard nest box, but rather will make their nests in low-lying bushes, tangled vegetation or small trees, usually at the edge of woods. The female will use soft leaves, bark and grasses to build the nest and will wrap the nest with a spider web.
Like many other bird species, the female builds the nest alone and will typically have three to five eggs per clutch, nesting about two to three times per season.
The male whistles a distinct and sharp-pitched note that lasts only a couple of seconds. This bird (although not the most melodic) loves to sing, especially in morning hours when they will belt out a few hundred songs per hour. In late summer, they are one of the most vocal birds and continue to sing even when most others have fallen silent.
If you are outside this summer, take a moment to listen and look for this gorgeous bird, because, all too soon, they will be migrating south on their long journey home.
Casey First is owner of North Asheville Wild Birds Unlimited, located at 946 Merrimon Avenue, Suite 120. To learn more, visit NorthAsheville.wbu.com. Stephanie Sipp is a professional nature illustrator and educator who creates joyful images of animals, birds, flowers and places.
