Indigo Bunting

I had a somewhat rare treat in late May when I met this Indigo Bunting at Sourland. They're considered to be a fairly common bird, but I don't spot them a lot. This is only my 2nd picture of them, which admittedly is twice as many as I have of the bird they're most often confused with, the Blue Grosbeak. (Besides being blue, both birds are in the cardinal family.)

I did notice this bird exactly where you're supposed to find them, edge habitat where meadows meet woods. I had a distant but unobstructed view of this guy (the females would have little or no blue) before he flew off.

May 27, 2021 at Sourland Mountain Preserve
Photo 133211246, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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