I kept hearing loud singing coming from the top of the trees on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, but had trouble locating the source of the singing. Leaves are now covering the trees, complicating my efforts to spot small songbirds. Eventually I managed to locate the birds and they turned out to be Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea).
Once again I was amazed by the deep blue coloration of the male Indigo Buntings—its intensity never fails to startle me. The bold color of the Indigo Buntings, sometimes nicknamed “blue canaries,” was matched by the cheerfulness of their songs. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “Male Indigo Buntings whistle a bright, lively song of sharp, clear, high-pitched notes that lasts about 2 seconds. They are voluble, singing as many as 200 songs per hour at dawn and keeping up a pace of about one per minute for the rest of the day.” Check out this link to hear samples of some of the songs of Indigo Buntings.
I was amazed to discover about how Indigo Buntings learn to sing. According the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “Indigo Buntings learn their songs as youngsters, from nearby males but not from their fathers. Buntings a few hundred yards apart generally sing different songs, while those in the same “song neighborhood” share nearly identical songs. A local song may persist up to 20 years, gradually changing as new singers add novel variations.” Wow!
I believe that Indigo Buntings will be with us all summer and I hope to get some shots at closer range. I have fond memories of the first time I photographed a male Indigo Bunting in August 2017 as he perched on the drooping head of a sunflower—check out the posting entitled Indigo Bunting and Monarch.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
These are such beautiful birds. I’ve seen one only twice, in two different years. They migrate through, and I was astonished to see them in the bushes under my feeders. I’d hoped they would linger, or at least come into the open for a photo, but it never happened. Lucky you to have them around!
Indigo Buntings are one of those birds that I see so infrequently that I seem to be able to recall each encounter. In theory, they will be around, but spotting them is tough, despite their bright coloration. Some of the birders in this area go a bit crazy during migration season and crowd certain hotspots, which I avoid at all costs. I prefer to enjoy nature as an individual and not as part of a loud, noisy group.
Oh how glorious are these photos of the stunning indigo bunting, Mike. Thanks so much, really a treat.
Thanks, Jet. Whenever I see your wonderfully supportive comments, I am prompted to check the range map to see if my subject is a species that you have on the west coast. It looks like that is not the case with the Indigo Bunting , which seems to be primarily an eastern species during breeding season.
Yes, you are lucky to have the IB in the east, Mike. I’ve seen it a few times while traveling, and I linger with them as long as they’ll allow. We have the Lazuli Bunting in Calif., also lovely. I have never heard the IB sing, and enjoyed hearing about your experience. Always a joy, my friend, to share earth’s beauties with you.
Thanks, Jet. Occasionally we have a Painted Bunting that finds its way into our area, but I am reluctant to join the hordes of photographers that flock together whenever a rare, out-of-area species appears.
I’m the same way about the hordes, Mike, as a birder, and Athena too as a photographer. It gets a little crazy. Cheers my friend.
Thanks, Jet. Your comments confirm once again that we have a similar approach to enjoying and documenting nature.
Gorgeous
Very nice Mike! Always fun to photograph Indigo Buntings!