A male Indigo Bunting in breeding feather is a glorious symphony of shimmering blues, turquoises, and purples. But these beautiful colors are illusive : Like the opalescence of hummingbirds and the blue sky feather of other species such as Eastern Bluebird, the male Indigo Bunting owes its glorious appearance to an optical trick — the diffraction of light up through its feathers. In poor lighting, the bunting ‘s brilliant colors disappear and it becomes a plain, dark-colored finch. But Indigo Buntings are more than a dainty for the eyes — this species besides helped reveal some authoritative secrets about how birds migrate .Following the Stars
Indigo Buntings played a cardinal character in a series of predilection and navigation experiments conducted on migrant birds during the 1960s. Scientists placed cage buntings inside a planetarium, manipulated headliner patterns, and noted the directions the birds attempted to fly in reaction. The results proved that Indigo Buntings ( and other nocturnal migrants ) use the movement of the stars to navigate during migration. unfortunately, Indigo Buntings must fly through a gauntlet of threats during their twice-yearly travels. many fall victim to collisions with windows, tip turbines, and communications towers, or are preyed upon by introduce predators, particularly cats.
Reading: Indigo Bunting
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Nonstop Singers
male Indigo Buntings are persistent singers. even on the hottest summer days, they can be spotted warbling their dessert, double-noted birdcall from treetops, telephone wires, and early raise perches. Their astute “ spic ” call note is frequently heard and easy to recognize. similar to Song Sparrows, juvenile male Indigo Buntings observe and imitate older males when learning to sing, late developing their own unique phrasings.
Seasonal Switches
Like Black-throated Blue Warbler and Scarlet Tanager, the Indigo Bunting is a sexually dimorphic species. only males have bluing feather, and then only during their breed season. Females, juveniles, and males in winter feather are an retiring tawny brown .
Indigo Buntings, like their close relatives the Painted and Varied Bunting mho, alter their diet seasonally. They feast on spiders and little insects during the summer, getting the excess protein they need for successful nest, then corrode seeds, buds, and berries during migration and in winter. The buntings can be beneficial to farmers, as they eat many worm pests and weed seeds.
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Saving Common and Rare Migrants
Although the Indigo Bunting still appears to be abundant throughout its range, Partners in Flight surveys show population decreases — a scenario increasingly seen in other once-common bird species such as Wood Thrush and Common Yellowthroat. A major perpetrator is habitat passing on both breeding and wintering grounds. ABC is working to halt these decreases through its BirdScapes broadcast, which aims to protect habitat for still-common species such as Indigo Bunting, equally well as birds at greater hazard like Golden-winged Warbler. We address the multiple hazards faced by Indigo Buntings and other migrants through our policy programs, including Bird-safe Windows and Cats Indoors. In addition, ABC ‘s employment with forestry partners to promote sustainable working forests immediately benefits the Indigo Bunting and many other birds that nest in young forests. Donate to support ABC’s conservation mission!
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
