Bunting Bird Species

When it comes to beauty and variety, it’s tough to beat the bunting bird family. They are found in a wide array of North American locations, from the high arctic tundra to the low country of the Southeast. The coloration of these birds is as distinct as their ranges. Males show everything from stark black and white palettes to a rainbow of colors. Females tend to have more subtle hints of coloring. Some buntings are related to sparrows or longspurs, while others are kin to cardinals and grosbeaks, yet another sign of their diversity. Whether you’re lucky enough to spot one at a backyard feeder or need to head to a nearby nature lookout, buntings are worthy of any birding life list. Learn more about these bright birds and where to find them.

COURTESY LORRI HOWSKI

Indigo Bunting

The most widespread group, indigos are the bunting bird of the East. Their core breeding range stretches from southern Quebec to central Florida and west all the way to Arizona and New Mexico. Look for bright blue males singing cheery paired notes from perches in brushy fields or woodland edges. Predominately brown, tan and white, females and young males show hints of blue feathering.

Like most other buntings, male indigos molt into a more subdued winter plumage. During migration, the blotchy birds can play tricks on even the most talented birder’s eyes, as the feather coloring doesn’t match up with anything in field guides. Indigo buntings will occasionally visit seed feeders, so be on the lookout, especially in spring. Offer their favorite foods to attract them.

“In June I was walking down a trail at a local park in Wisconsin. I could hear an indigo bunting singing. In the distance I could hear a faint reply. I focused on the male (above) as he was displaying courtship behavior. As the female’s calls came closer, his wings started flapping,” says Lorri Howski. Check out more inspiring pictures of indigo buntings.

COURTESY EMILY HAMSON

Lazuli Bunting

Search for flashy lazuli buntings throughout the western portion of the United States. Jacelyn Downey, education programs manager for Audubon Rockies, sees lazuli buntings near her Wyoming home close to the Black Hills. “If you’re just glancing, you could easily mistake the male lazuli bunting for an eastern or western bluebird,” she says.

The name lazuli refers to the stunning blue lapis lazuli gemstone. The male’s blue is offset with a rusty brown chest band and a white belly. Wing bars—white in males, buffy cinnamon on the females—help distinguish the lazulis from indigo buntings. Crossbreeding between the two birds is fairly common in the Great Plains where their ranges overlap.

“I have a bird feeder on the tree outside my kitchen window. Last May, I was about to go do some household duties when I saw this lazuli bunting fly to the feeder. They are rare at my house, so I grabbed my camera. As soon as he flew to the tree, I grabbed this shot (above), which was good because the next second he flew away!” says Emily Hamson.