Blue Bunting

Cyanocompsa parellinaOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Cardinals and Grosbeaks (Cardinalidae)

Codes: Common Name: BLBU Scientific Name: CYAPAR ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179546

Related Birds

Indigo Bunting
Lazuli Bunting
Painted Bunting
Blue Grosbeak
Varied Bunting

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Blue Bunting: Small, stocky bunting with stout, black bill. Male is deep blue overall with black face and upper breast. Forages on ground, in thickets and in brushy understory for seeds, insects and larvae. Short flight, alternates rapid wing beats with wings pulled briefly to sides.

Range and Habitat

Blue Bunting: Breeds in Mexico and along the Texas-Mexico border.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"seeyou,seeyou,seeyee-suee-se-se-see"

Interesting Facts

The Blue Bunting is a scarce visitor to extreme southern Texas, and is much sought-after by birders when it appears.

Vagrancy patterns in this and other Mexican passerines may be affected by habitat destruction in northern Mexico near the U.S. border.

They are popularly kept as cage birds, this fact must be considered in assessing individual vagrants, who may be escapees.

A group of buntings are collectively known as a "decoration", "mural", and "sacrifice" of buntings.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Samira Belous

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Blue Bunting

● Song: "seeyou,seeyou,seeyee-suee-se-se-see"

● Foraging & Feeding: Blue Bunting: Eats seeds and insects; forages in brushy forest understory, dense scrubby thickets, and on the ground.

● Breeding & nesting: Blue Bunting: Two white to light blue eggs are laid in a nest made of grass and rootlets, lined with finer materials, and built in a bush or low in a small tree. Incubation ranges from 11 to 13 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Blue Bunting: Male Blue Grosbeak is bright purple-blue with two brown wingbars. Female is brown with occasional blue feathers on upperparts and two brown wingbars.

Flight Pattern

Typically, short flight with rapid wing beats alternating with brief periods of wings pulled to sides.

Blue Bunting Breeding Male Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Blue Bunting: Breeds in Mexico and along the Texas-Mexico border.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationRare

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight0.5 Ounces

Perching-like Body

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Face

The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Blue Bunting

Related Birds

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Range and Habitat

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

Interesting Facts

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Artist

Blue Bunting

Flight Pattern