Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
The Indigo Bunting has no blue pigment; its striking color comes from the microscopic structure of its feathers which reflects blue light, a phenomenon known as structural coloration.
- Scientific name
- Passerina cyanea
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Cardinalidae › Passerina
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Brushy forest edges, overgrown fields, and deciduous woodland clearings.
- Diet
- Small seeds, berries, and insects such as caterpillars, beetles, and grasshoppers.
- Range
- Eastern North America, Central America, Caribbean, Northern South America
- Size
- 12-14 cm in length; 12-18 grams
- Lifespan
- Up to 10 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, window strikes during migration, and domestic cat predation.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and shy. Best observed through binoculars from a distance to avoid disrupting their foraging. If you find a grounded bird, keep pets away; if injured, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
The indigo bunting ( Passerina cyanea ) is a small seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae or cardinal. 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...
Photo: Gareth Rasberry, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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