Library #24 · C Color · Wave 2

Indigo Bunting

Passerina cyanea · Cardinalidae

Looks blue like the sky — but the color is structural, not pigment.

At a glance

Size: 4.7–5.1 in
Wingspan: 7.5–8.7 in
Habitat: Brushy fields, powerline cuts, woodland edges
Diet: Seeds and insects

Range: Breeds in the East; winters in the Caribbean/Central America

Nesting: Cup nest low in a shrub or tangle.

Coloring pose idea: Electric-blue male on thistle/fence

Hear this bird

General call / song: High sharp spit; lively paired-phrase song.

Mating / display: Long, cheerful song from exposed perches all summer.

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Play calls on All About Birds Species overview Audubon field guide

How to know it

Breeding male: all vivid blue in good light (can look black in shade).
Female: plain brown with faint streaks.
Conical bill; often sings from the highest twig.

Behavior

Sings through the heat of summer afternoons.
Learns song patterns from neighboring males.
Migrates at night using stars among other cues.

Fun facts

Famous for nighttime migration guided partly by stars.
Blue vanishes in silhouette — watch for shape and song.
Often returns to the same territory yearly.

Companion page for the Birds Coloring Calendar series by R. J. D. B. Fact summaries are original educational text. Call playback via link to All About Birds / Cornell Lab. Re-test QR codes on a phone before final print. Not affiliated with Cornell Lab or Audubon.

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