Range Map - Song

Description: The male Indigo Bunting is deep blue all over, with black wings and tail. The wings have blue bars. The female is dull brown with traces of blue. The Indigo Bunting is a small bird, measuring no more than five and a half inches in length. Male Indigo Buntings may only be confused with male Blue Grosbeaks. Although the two species occupy similar habitats, the male Blue Grosbeak is noticeably larger, and has chestnut wing bars. Female Indigo Buntings may be confused with a wide range of sparrows and female finches.

Habitat: The Indigo Bunting is a common finch found throughout the eastern and midwestern states. Indigo Buntings prefer brushy woodlands, woodland edges, roadside pastures with prominent perches, and areas with cover. While Indigo Buntings are normally found near the ground, males sometimes sing their cheerful songs from the highest branches of the tallest trees. The Indigo Bunting may appear black at a distance.

Range/Diet: The Indigo Bunting is found throughout the east, ranging westward to the Great Plains. Indigo Buntings eat insects and seeds, and may come to feeders in appropriate habitats. The Indigo Bunting is replaced in the west by the Lazuli Bunting. In areas of the Great Plains, where their ranges overlap, the two species have been known to interbreed.