Indigo bunting

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Indigo bunting

Male (above), female (below)

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) [1]

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Cardinalidae

Genus: Passerina

Species: P. cyanea
 Binomial name

Passerina cyanea

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Range of the indigo bunting

  Summer-only range

  Migratory range

  Winter-only range

Synonyms

 Tanagra
cyanea Linnaeus, 1766
 Cyanospiza
cyanea (Linnaeus, 175
8)

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.[2] It often migrates by night, using the stars
to navigate.[3] Its habitat is farmland, brush areas, and open woodland. [4] 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, with a length of 11.5–13 cm (4.5–5.1 in). 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.
 Contents

 1Taxonomy
 2Description
 3Distribution and habitat
 4Behavior
o 4.1Breeding
o 4.2Diet
 5Status
 6References
 7External links

Taxonomy