Indigo Bunting

1/200s at f8.0, ISO:800, Canon Mark IV 1D w/800mm, 1.4x converter


The Indigo Bunting is closely related to the Lazuli Bunting, and will interbreed with the latter species where their ranges overlap, in the Great Plains. The habitat of the Indigo Bunting is brushy forest edges, open deciduous woods, second growth woodland, and farmland. The breeding range stretches from southern Canada to Maine, south to northern Florida and eastern Texas, and westward to southern Nevada. The winter range begins in southern Florida and central Mexico and stretches south through the West Indies and Central America to northern South America. These birds are generally monogamous but not always faithful to their partner. Nesting sites are located in dense shrub or a low tree, generally 0.3–1 m (1–3 ft) above the ground. The female, who cares for the eggs alone, constructs it. The clutch consists of one to four eggs, but usually contains three to four. The eggs are incubated for 12 to 13 days. Chicks fledge 10 to 12 days after hatching. Most pairs raise two broods per year, and the male may feed newly fledged young while the females incubate the next clutch of eggs. The Indigo Bunting forages for food on the ground or in trees or shrubs. During the breeding season, the species eats insects, seeds and berries, including caterpillars, grasshoppers, spiders, beetles, and grass seeds.
Medicine Creek, NE
 
06/05/2011