Indigo Bunting

Indigo Bunting ~Photography by Caitlyn Sippel

The male Indigo Bunting is one of the most brilliantly coloured North American birds, but its name is misleading as the only part of this Bunting that is indigo is his head. The majority of its body is a cyan-blue. It is the male who is so beautifully coloured and the female is a dull-brown overall. They have adapted well to human activity and are actually more abundant and widespread now than a hundred years ago. Indigo Buntings prefer tree-falls within forests and grassland-forest edges. They can live up to 11 years and like to stay in large flocks. They have a wingspan of 20 cm and grow to be 14 cm long.

Voice:

Their call is a sharp pik in contrast to a long buzz when in flight. I love their song as it is easier to remember, and quite entertaining as it is often described as saying: “fire!-fire!, where?-where?, there!-there!, put-it-out!, put-it-out!”

Watch the video to hear the Indigo Bunting's voice:

Nesting:

Indigo Buntings make open cupped nests in dense shrubs or tangled branches. They lay 3 to 4 eggs in 1 to 3 broods from May to September.

Feeding:

Similar to Northern Cardinals, Indigo Buntings eat insects, seeds, buds and fruit.