Indigo Bunting

Passerina cyanea

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

14 cm (5-6") Common. Southeastern Canada; eastern United States west to Great Plains, range expanding west and southwestern to Arizona, New Mexico, California. Brushy pastures, fields grown to scrub, open clearings, rural roadsides (perches on wires).

Male: rich deep almost iridescent blue overall. No wing bars. Sparrow-like bill. Smaller than similar Blue Grosbeak. In poor light it appears black.

Sings late into August even at midday.

Female: drab brown upperparts. Buffy underparts. Breast is lightly streaked. Resembles female Varied Bunting.

Song: excitable warble.

Details in the field

Photo gallery

4 photos

Credit: Kenneth Cole Schneider

Credit: Larry Bond

Credit: Daniel Arndt

Credit: Evangelio Gonzalez

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

Indigo Bunting Portrait

Credit: Larry Bond

Indigo Bunting in Maine

Credit: Wild Bird and Nature Videos by McElroy Productions

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 4 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Indigo Bunting (Male)

2 rules

Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 4

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Uniform color · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Sparrow-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall

result:880-indigo-bunting-male:1:1 Source: 880 Indigo Bunting (Male), row 1

Rule 2 14 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Uniform color · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Sparrow-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States

result:880-indigo-bunting-male:2:1 Source: 880 Indigo Bunting (Male), row 2

Indigo Bunting (Female)

2 rules

Rule 1 16 criteria confidence 4

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Uniform · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Crest of feathers on top of the head · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Sparrow-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall

result:881-indigo-bunting-female:1:1 Source: 881 Indigo Bunting (Female), row 1

Rule 2 17 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Uniform · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Crest of feathers on top of the head · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Sparrow-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States

result:881-indigo-bunting-female:2:1 Source: 881 Indigo Bunting (Female), row 2