An indigo bunting on a sunflower
© William Krumpelman/Getty Image
Info. An indigo bunting bird on a sunflower
The indigo bunting is a small bird in the cardinal family. The male birds are brown in winter months, but from late spring to summer, they turn a deep blue. They fly to a high perch – like our cheerful friend on a sunflower – and sing from morning to night to try to get the attention of females, who are brown all year. During breeding season, you'll find the seed-eating birds throughout eastern and central North America, from southern Canada down to Florida. When the weather gets cooler, indigo buntings fly about 2,000 kilometres from their breeding grounds to spend the winter in Central and South America. Like many bird species, these long-distance migrators fly at night, using the stars to navigate.
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