Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
The Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) is a common cardinal found in 36 countries, weighing about 15 g. The indigo bunting is a small seed-eating bird in the cardinal family, Cardinalidae.
About the Indigo Bunting
The indigo bunting is a small seed-eating bird in the cardinal family, Cardinalidae. It is migratory, ranging from southern Canada to northern Florida during the breeding season, and from southern Florida to northern South America during the winter. It often migrates by night, using the stars to navigate. Its habitat is farmland, brush areas, and open woodland. The indigo bunting is closely related to the lazuli bunting and interbreeds with the species where their ranges overlap.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The indigo bunting is a smallish songbird, around the size of a small sparrow. It measures 11.5–15 cm (4.5–5.9 in) long, with a wingspan of 18–23 cm (7.1–9.1 in). Body mass averages 14.5 g (0.51 oz), with a reported range of 11.2–21.4 g (0.40–0.75 oz). During the breeding season, the adult male appears mostly a vibrant cerulean blue. Only the head is indigo. The wings and tail are black with cerulean blue edges. In fall and winter plumage, the male has brown edges to the blue body and head feathers, which overlap to make the bird appear mostly brown. Voice: The indigo bunting communicates through vocalizations and visual cues. A sharp chip! call is used by both sexes, and is used as an alarm call if a nest or chick is threatened. A high-pitched, buzzed zeeep is used as a contact call when the indigo bunting is in flight.
What the Indigo Bunting sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United Kingdom, Norway, Venezuela, Haiti, St. Kitts & Nevis, Sweden.
When to see it
Best months: April, May, June, July, August, September, October, with peak activity in May. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Indigo Bunting?
- The indigo bunting is a smallish songbird, around the size of a small sparrow. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Indigo Bunting?
- The Indigo Bunting is a tiny sized bird weighing about 15 g.
- Where can you see an Indigo Bunting?
- The Indigo Bunting occurs in 36 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.
- What does an Indigo Bunting sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Indigo Bunting on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to an Indigo Bunting?
- The Indigo Bunting is most easily confused with the Blue Grosbeak, the Lazuli Bunting and the Painted Bunting.
- Is the Indigo Bunting endangered?
- The Indigo Bunting is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Indigo Bunting for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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