Rare visit sparks research Indigo bunting spotted at Maine bird feeder

A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from a woman regarding a bird she had seen at her feeders.

“Today we had a wonderful surprise,” she wrote. “As far as I can tell from my books, I think it was an indigo bunting. It was such a vibrant blue that it stood out immediately. We have orioles, rose-breasted grosbeaks, goldfinches… but never this.”

That’s pretty exclusive company for a bird to stand out in. While not flashy like the others, it is nevertheless eye-catching. She went on to ask if this bird was common near her hometown in northern Maine.

I consulted my favorite resource – the “Birds of North America” individual species accounts – and read the wealth of information written by Robert B. Payne about the bunting.

I learned this bird is widespread and numerous in North America, with a range extending west to the Great Plains and into the Southwest, and including large areas of Canada. However, it does prefer certain types of habitats, the reduction of which may make it uncommon in some areas.

Indeed, I have only encountered this bird on three occasions since I’ve become an avid birder. The first time was while I lived in Blue Hill. One day in early spring it was there underneath the feeders at the forest’s edge. Next time I observed one at the base of Blue Hill Mountain, which is covered by blueberry fields, brushy thickets, and small stands of trees. The third time was about a year ago, when I heard one singing in an overgrown field.

The above environments are textbook examples of what this bird prefers and thrives in. Indigo buntings are primarily a ground-feeding species. They forage for small seeds and insects, and berries such as blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and elderberries within the cover of tall grasses, low shrubs, and woodland edges. Payne makes no effort to conceal his regard for this bird when he writes, “Their colorful appearance and memorable spring and summer songs are a good reason to fallow old fields and leave roadsides unmowed.”

They do have a memorable song, one that is relatively easy for novice birders to learn. It is soft and musical, composed of several notes that are repeated in pairs. It brings to mind the archetypal sunny day: light breezes swaying the long grasses of a warm, sunny field.

Only the males sing, and they do it to advertise their territory to other males and to females, which, by the way, look nothing like their mates. If you didn’t know any better, you might think they were a different bird altogether. While the males are so blue as to appear almost purple, the females are an unremarkable light brown. But this is actually to their greatest benefit; flashy plumage is more costly to produce, and calls more attention to its wearer. This would be a bad thing for a female bunting as she incubates her eggs, especially so because she builds her nest low to the ground, often no more than three feet above it.

If you have a corner in your yard or a large expanse of lawn you’d like to be rid of, let it grow. Better yet, include plantings of wildflowers and herbs, and a berry bush or two, and you just may have an indigo bunting pay a visit – or, better yet, set up housekeeping.

Chris Corio, a volunteer at Fields Pond Nature Center in Holden, can be reached at fieldspond@juno.com