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Indigo Bunting - (Passerina cyanea)
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May
9, 2009 - It was a really good thing that the
one day a year that the indigo bunting came to
the backyard fell on one of the days that I
could be here to watch the fun. He is the only
native bird that is dark blue all over. It was a
one day viewing last year. He stops by for a
snack, and we have to be grateful that we at
least seem to be considered a rest stop with
food. |
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Even though we can distinguish little brown
birds much more accurately than last year, and
even though we searched carefully, we never saw
the little brown female bunting.
Our pretty, blue visitor enjoyed some finch
seeds, sat in the weeping crabapple tree, then
journeyed on. Maybe next year he'll come in
brighter sunshine to show off that stunning blue
and stay for a while (at least for a more
lengthy photo shoot if not to raise a family).
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| Another bird enthusiast and I
were chatting on the phone last April about bird
houses (the decorative kind) and her wonderful
collection of hand-carved birds. I can't wait
to see them.. She said an old farmer's wife from
upstate New York had carved them in the '50's
with very simple tools. |
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She mentioned that she has a visitor that
comes to her yard each year for a very brief fly
through. This year, to her disappointment,
only her husband saw the Indigo Bunting
traveler. This is a stunning blue bird
that Food Guy, wistfully paging through our bird
books, has often admired and hoped to see in
person.
Much to our surprise, it was only several
days later in early May that we had an Indigo
Bunting stop over with us for one day at our
finch feeder- just long enough to snap some
photos. What a delightful little bird!
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Size:
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Length: 5.5 in
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Weight: .5 oz |
Wingspan: 8in |
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ID:
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Male: Rich, deep blue that appears
black when backlit; scattered dark
markings on wings and tails; bill stout,
conical and gray; gray feet are
anisodactylous (three toes point forward
and one toe points backward); finch-like
bird
Female and Juvenile: Light brown; breast
paler with indistinct streaks; whitish
throat
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Habitat:
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Thick brush; shrubby and weedy area
with water; woodland edges
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Diet:
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Insects (especially grasshoppers,
beetles and flies); low vegetation
(dandelions, goldenrods, thistle seeds);
fruit; feeders for small seed and grain
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Family Behavior:
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Mating Habits: Monogamous and
solitary; 2 broods per year
Local Breeding Period: Mid-May to
Early June
Nests: Cup shape; made of weeds and bark
and lived with grass and leaves; built
by female; placed in small tree, shrub
or weed clump
Eggs: 3-4 plain white or pale blue;
female incubates 12-13 days
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless,
naked, eyes closed) and stay in nest
10-11days; fed mostly by female
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Social Activities:
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Appear at feeders only during
migration; gregarious and found in mixed
bird flocks when not mating; males are
defensive of territory
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Range:
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Breeding: Eastern to Central US and
southern Canada
Winter: Mexico and Central America and
live in flocks; migrates in small groups
at night by navigating by
starlight; male returns to previous
nesting site before females and
juveniles
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Vocalization:
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Series of paired, regular phrases at
different pitches; call is a quick spit
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| Lifespan: |
Up to 11 years |
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