Indigo Buntings are small birds, with the males being bright blue with streaks of black in the wings and tail. Females are brown, darker on the back, and lighter underneath. Juveniles are patchy brown and blue. They have short tails and thick bills.
- Passerina cyanea
- Length: 4.7-5.1 in (12-13 cm)
- Weight: 0.4-0.6 oz (12-18 g)
- Wingspan: 7.5-8.7 in (19-22 cm)
Range
Indigo Buntings migrate far from breeding grounds in eastern US states, southeastern Canada, and southern US states to winter grounds in Florida, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.
Habitat And Diet
You can find Indigo Buntings in weedy fields and shrubby areas foraging for seeds and insects.
Indigo Bunting Song:
Nests
Nests of Indigo Buntings are low to the ground and hidden in vegetation. Females make the nest from grass, leaves, and plant stems woven together and held with spiders’ webs.
They lay around four eggs, which take two weeks to hatch and another week or two for the young to leave the nest.
Attract Indigo Buntings
Attract them to your backyard with small seeds such as nyjer and thistle.
Fun Fact:
Like many blue-colored birds, Indigo Buntings’ feathers are not actually blue and are, in fact, brown. The color is caused by light being scattered by the feathers, creating the effect.
