Tiny though they may be, these small birds are able to fly hundreds of miles thanks to the help of an internal clock that enables them to determine their location in space. Indigo Buntings use the stars to navigate during migrations. Indigo Buntings migrate south for the winter and are only present in the United States during the breeding season. You’re unlikely to see him in this molt, however. In the non-breeding season, he molts to a combination of blue and brown that is still visually stunning. The breeding season in the spring and summer is the only time that males are totally blue. Males are only fully blue for part of the year. Flocks of buntings work together to find seeds and locate the most nutrient-dense food sources. Not Indigo Buntings! During the summer months, they prefer to forage for insects alone.
Some birds are gregarious throughout the year. Indigo buntings might make an appearance in such a comfortable location. If you have a large yard with a low, brushy area with grasses and shrubs, consider placing a feeder at the edge. It’s more difficult to attract them to your bird feeder because they are more shy than other birds. Indigo Bunting visiting a bird feeder | image by aphid dew via Flickr | CC BY 2.0 The first food the mother feeds her chicks after hatching is insects.
In the spring and summer, Indigo Buntings feast on insects. Since many live near abandoned agricultural land, they take advantage of successional plants that may seed or fruit and leave remnants for the winter.
In the winter, seeds are usually present from the ripening and harvesting of autumn. They adapt according to what food is available. While the female goes to another part of her mate’s territory to build a second nest, the father of the fledging chicks might take over the feeding role. In some situations, however, the pair might mate again when their brood is about to fledge the nest. One thing he does do is defend his territory vigorously against intruders. The female raises the family on her own.Īfter mating, the male Indigo Bunting doesn’t contribute much to his mate’s hefty job of building the nest, incubating the eggs, and feeding the growing chicks. Blue in a sea of yellow, Indigo Bunting among sunflowers | image by Laura Wolf via Flickr | CC BY 2.0 5. They balance on the stalks of wild grasses, searching for their next meal. Indigo Buntings thrive on seeds from grasses that grow in these open spaces. Indigo Buntings take advantage of human development.Įven though these songbirds haven’t taken well to human suburban development, they love the grassy corridors that roads, railroad tracks, and power lines make as they cut through densely forested areas. However, the blue feathers of his head and back are still visible. His tail, wings, and part of his neck may be brown. They are sometimes referred to as the “blue canary”.Īt other times of the year, the male has more brown feathers. Their heads are slightly darker than the rest of them, although some may have darker blue wingtips. Some may have diffuse light blue stripes on their wings too.ĭuring the breeding season, males are a bright cobalt blue. Throughout the year, they are differently colored.įemales are dusty chestnut brown year-round. It’s easy to tell male and female Indigo Buntings apart. While they often defend their territories against each other, they also may share songs and even interbreed to form hybrids. In areas of the western Great Plains, the Indigo Bunting can be found alongside another blue bird, the Lazuli Bunting. Indigo buntings sometimes breed with Lazuli Bunting Their range has recently expanded into the Southwest and the Four Corners region. In the United States, they have traditionally been found from Maine south to Florida and west to Texas and North Dakota. Specifically, they spend spring and summer in the eastern and southwestern United States, then fall and winter in Central America and some islands of the Caribbean. Indigo Buntings split their time between North and Central America. You can spot them in the southwestern and eastern United States. For the birder in the East or Southwest, this is a great species to keep an eye out for – and even consider feeding in your backyard! Continue reading to learn 12 facts Indigo Buntings. This omnivorous songbird has captured the hearts of many by way of its bright blue color. The Indigo Bunting’s whistling song and flash of blue wings is like a breath of fresh air on a hot summer day.
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