They can be seen darting in and out of the tree line foraging for insects and small seeds in the fields and trees. A great local spot to see Indigo Buntings is along the Harpeth greenway that runs behind Ensworth high school and Warner parks where the field hits the tree line along the Harpeth River. They are common on the edges of woods and fields along roads, streams, rivers, and power line cuts in logged forest plots, brushy, and abandoned fields where shrubby growth is returning. Indigo Buntings eat small seeds, berries, buds, and insects. This small bright blue bird spends its winters in central and southern parts of South America, and can been seen across eastern North America in the spring and summer months. They are apt to visit hanging feeders as well as forage on the ground. One may see them feeding on sunflower, safflower, millet, and finch feed. Immature males are patchy blue and brown. Females are basically brown, with faint streaking on the breast, a whitish throat, and sometimes a touch of blue on the wings, tail, or rump. A breeding male Indigo Bunting is blue all over, with slightly richer blue on his head and a shiny, silver-gray bill. Let us know when and how many you see.Īnother very nice bird, although not as common in numbers at feeders as the RB Grosbeak, is the Indigo Bunting. They readily accept a variety of seeds, mostly sunflower and safflower, and most tube, hopper, and platform feeders accommodate them nicely. Birds you saw yesterday may already have moved on to be replaced by new arrivals. It’s very likely that you are seeing a daily exchange of at least some of those grosbeaks, though.
Some years they are scarce at the feeders but others we see small flocks of these birds settle in to feeding areas and seemingly remain for as much as three or four weeks. Both males and females have a large, triangular shaped bill. On females you may also see the yellow wing linings. The female’s plumage is primarily brown and white, with its underparts heavily streaked. The male is very handsome, sporting black and white plumage, with a v-shaped splash of vibrant red on the chest.
Every spring we are fortunate to see Rose-breasted grosbeaks visit our feeders for an all too brief time as they make their way north to breeding areas.
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