Indigo bunting, Pennsylvania, USA

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Indigo bunting

This time of year, from late spring to summer, male adult indigo buntings transform into a brilliant deep blue. They fly to a high perch – like our cheerful friend atop a sunflower – and sing from morning to night to try to catch the attention of females. Indigo buntings are members of the “blue” clade (subgroup) of the cardinal family.

During breeding season you'll find the small, seed-loving songbirds in brushy habitats in pastures, along roadways and at the edges of forests throughout eastern and central North America, from southern Canada down to Florida. But you'll have to keep a lookout for the plain brown females, who are usually tending to their young deep in the thicket.