However, according to sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene of members of the genus Passerina, it was determined that the indigo bunting and lazuli bunting are not, in fact, sister taxa. They were declared to form a superspecies by the American Ornithologists' Union in 1983. The indigo bunting is a close relative of the lazuli bunting and interbreeds with the species where their ranges overlap, in the Great Plains. The current genus name, Passerina, is derived from the Latin term passer for true sparrows and similar small birds, while the species name, cyanea, is Latin for cyan, the color of the male's breeding plumage. It was originally described as Tanagra cyanea by Linnaeus in his 18th-century work, Systema Naturae. The indigo bunting is included in the family Cardinalidae, which is made up of passerine birds found in North and South America, and is one of seven birds in the genus Passerina. Taxonomy Illustration of male and female indigo bunting between 19. The diet of the indigo bunting consists primarily of insects during the summer months and seeds during the winter months. Nest-building and incubation are done solely by the female. It is brown during the winter months, while the female is brown year-round. It displays sexual dimorphism in its coloration the male is vibrant blue in the summer, with brightly colored plumage during the breeding season to attract a mate. The indigo bunting is a small bird, with a length of 11.5–13 cm (4.5–5.1 in). The indigo bunting is closely related to the lazuli bunting and interbreeds with the species where their ranges overlap. Its habitat is farmland, brush areas, and open woodland. It often migrates by night, using the stars to navigate. It is migratory, ranging from southern Canada to northern Florida during the breeding season, and from southern Florida to northern South America during the winter. So what does this glorious bird do in all of those far-flung spots it likes to hang out in? Well, it likes to look cool, naturally.The indigo bunting ( Passerina cyanea) is a small seed-eating bird in the cardinal family, Cardinalidae. I guess I have to go to some scrubland in the middle of Nebraska, or a forest in Mexico, and not, like, Brooklyn, if I want to see the bunting. What gives?!?! Well, to quote Audubon again, this bird “does well in brushy rural areas, but not in urbanized areas or regions of intense agriculture.” (This is apparently especially true of the female bunting, which, thanks to the bird patriarchy, is a more muted brown color and actually does all of the work in a bunting family.) You win this round, rural areas. Now, I live in New York, which last I checked was in the east, and I don’t see indigo buntings everywhere I look. OK, back to how the bunting is all over the place in the east. This accounts for why in some lighting the males appear exquisitely turquoise blue, while in others they appear to be almost black. The brilliant blue of male indigo buntings results not from pigment but rather from the diffraction of light through the structure of the feathers. Side note: this blue I’ve been rhapsodizing about? It’s literally a trick of the light. Audubon says that “in parts of the East, Indigo Bunting may be the most abundant songbird, with the deep-blue males singing along every roadside.” According to Cornell’s eBird site, there have even been sightings in Alaska. If you’re in Cuba, you can see the indigo bunting. If you’re in Ohio, you can see the indigo bunting. It can be found as far north as Canada and as far south as Colombia, as far east as Maine and as far west as California. And it’s everywhere this little bird goes.Īs I indicated before, the indigo bunting goes a lot of different places. It’s the kind of blue that inspires poets, that leads people to instill spiritual meaning in nature, that makes you glad to be alive in the world. Avatar’ s got nothing on the indigo bunting. Seriously, though, look at that brilliant, blazing, bliss-inducing blue. ‘Nuff said, I think! I guess I can call it a day.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |