The Indigo Bunting

By Al Lowe
Contributor

Buntings are small birds, about the size of a sparrow, or a bit smaller. There are four species of buntings in Canada. Two are resident of the west (Lazuli and Lark). One comes to us only in the winter (Snow). The fourth one is the only one which nests here in Northern Ontario. It is the Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea).
We have very few birds which are blue. The male of this species is the only one which is all blue. Its head runs to a darker, more purple type of blue, and wings and tail usually have a darker, brownish cast. The winter plumage is sort of brownish, with a few blue feathers. Actually, it looks a lot like some of its cousins, the sparrows. But it is the only bird in this part of the world which is solidly blue, so you can't go wrong when you see him in the hedge.
The female, as usual, is much less colourful. At first glance, you might think she was a sparrow - brownish in general, with some not-very-prominent streaks on her breast. She has a few blue feathers here and there, to make sure she is a wee bit different.
Indigo Buntings nest in fairly low places, hedges, low bushes and the like. The nest is a very neat affair, made of grass and twigs, usually lined with hair and very fine grass. Even the eggs of this little bird are blue. The female does most of the domestic chores, like it used to be in human families years ago.
The male bird is a very persistent singer, usually from someplace quite high, a telephone pole, a tall tree, a flagpole. The song is in different pitches, and the phrases are in pairs - chee-chee, zu, zu, sweet-sweet and so on. It sings a lot, and the song is a very pleasant one. Now most birds stop singing when their domestic chores are over, and the young ones have gone. But not our blue one. He keeps on going long into the fall.
The western counterpart of this bird is the Lazuli Bunting, in B.C. and Alberta. It is very blue on top and has a reddish breast. Another North American one is the Painted Bunting. This one is the most extravagantly coloured bird on the continent - brilliant purple head, green back and scarlet breast and rump - an artistic nightmare!
When winter starts to appear, our little blue bird is gone. He winters in Central America and further south, and is very common, in large numbers on the Caribbean Islands.
Look for this blue bird, the Indigo Bunting, in open areas with low bushes - old farms, meadows which still have hedgerows, 'edge' areas. If you can find this little blue bird, you will be glad that you did. He is a delight to behold.