Lazuli Bunting
Passerina amoena
Young males often arrive at breeding grounds without a song of their own and 'borrow' the specific melody of an established older neighbor, creating distinct local song dialects.
- Scientific name
- Passerina amoena
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Cardinalidae › Passerina
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Shrub-steppe, riparian thickets, brushy pastures, and open woodland edges.
- Diet
- Insects such as caterpillars, beetles, and grasshoppers during summer; seeds and grains during winter.
- Range
- Western United States, Western Canada, Mexico
- Size
- Length: 13-15 cm; Wingspan: 22 cm; Weight: 13-18 g
- Lifespan
- 4-9 years in the wild
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, urbanization, and brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. Observe from a distance of 10-15 feet to avoid causing stress or flushing the bird from its perch. They pose no physical threat to humans and are best enjoyed with binoculars.
The lazuli bunting ( Passerina amoena ) is a North American songbird named for the gemstone lapis lazuli.
Photo: Pat Farris, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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