Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
Silhouette: Jonah Duckles · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCardinalidae (Cardinals and Allies)
- GenusPasserina (North American Buntings)
- SpeciesPasserina cyanea (Indigo Bunting)
About the Indigo Bunting
The indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea) is a small seed-eating bird in the cardinal family, Cardinalidae. 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 their ranges overlap.
The indigo bunting is a small bird, measuring 11.5–13 cm (4.5–5.1 in) in length. It displays sexual dimorphism in its coloration; the male is vibrant blue in the summer, with brightly colored plumage during the breeding season to attract a mate. It is brown during the winter months, while the female is brown year-round. Nest-building and incubation are done solely by the female. The diet of the indigo bunting consists primarily of insects during the summer months and seeds during the winter months.
The indigo bunting is included in the family Cardinalidae, which is made up of passerine birds found in North and South America, and is one of seven birds in the genus Passerina... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Indigo Bunting in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca
Blue Grosbeak
Passerina caerulea
Varied Bunting
Passerina versicolor
Lazuli Bunting
Passerina amoena
Hepatic Tanager
Piranga flava
Black-headed Grosbeak
Pheucticus melanocephalus
Red-headed Tanager
Piranga erythrocephala
Western Tanager
Piranga ludoviciana
Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
Flame-colored Tanager
Piranga bidentata
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
Yellow-eyed Junco
Junco phaeonotus
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Regulus calendula
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.