Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Tanagers, Buntings

Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea

Family Cardinalidae (Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Tanagers, Buntings)

Size: 5.5"

Season: Summer

Habitat: Brush, open woodlands, fields

Often occurring in large flocks, the indigo bunting forages mostly on the ground for insects, berries, and seeds. It is a compact, small songbird with a short, thick bill. The male is entirely blue; the head is a dark, purplish blue and the body is a lighter, sky blue. The female is brownish gray above, duller below, with faint streaking on the breast meeting a white throat. The winter male is smudged with patchy gray, brown, and white. They perch in treetops voicing their undulating, chirping melodies. The adult male (bottom) and female (top) are illustrated.