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Passerina cyanea

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Indigo Bunting

G5Secure Found in 78 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103315
Element CodeABPBX64030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyCardinalidae
GenusPasserina
Other Common Names
Colorín Azul (ES) indigo bunting (EN) Passerin indigo (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Hybridizes with P. amoena where ranges overlap in the Great Plains, but the two species are locally sympatric without interbreeding in the Southwest; they have been regarded as conspecific by a few authors, but are regarded as a superspecies by AOU (1998). Baker and Baker (1991) present evidence that indicates low levels of hybridization and introgression with assortative mating.

However, a recent phylogenetic study of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene indicates that these two hybridizing species are not sister taxa at all; instead, P. amoena is most closely related to the much larger Blue Grosbeak (Guiraca caerulea) and P. cyanea is basal to the Passerina-guiraca group (Klicka et al. 2001).

LINARIA is an invalid generic name for North America buntings (Banks and Browning 1995).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-09
Change Date1996-12-03
Range Extent Comments
BREEDING: southeastern British Columbia and southeastern Saskatchewan across southern Canada to southern Maine, southern New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, south to southern New Mexico, southern Texas, Gulf Coast, and central Florida; sporadic breeding southwest to southern California, southeastern Arizona, and southwestern Utah (Payne 1992, AOU 1998). NON-BREEDING: Nayarit, San Luis Potosi, and Bermuda south to Panama and northwestern Colombia; Bahamas, Greater Antilles (including the Virgin Islands), Cayman Islands; rarely from southern Texas, Gulf Coast, and Florida south (AOU 1998).
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

See Kaufman (1989) for information on identification.

Habitat

BREEDING: Deciduous forest edge and clearings, open woodland, second growth, shrubby areas, scrub, cultivated lands, weedy fields, orchards, hedgerows, overgrown fencerows; avoids mature forests. Nests in crotch of saplings, small bushes, weeds, thickets, vine patch, canebrakes, sometimes in trees, to about four meters above ground in dense cover. Most settle and breed more than two kilometers from their natal site; locally hatched birds comprised 1.6% and 13% of the breeding population in areas of 10 and 4 sq km (Payne 1991). Commonly returns to territory used in previous year (Payne and Payne 1993). NON-BREEDING: In migration, open grasslands, bushes, and leafy trees (Payne 1992). In winter, weedy fields, cropland, and orchards; savanna; and low second growth (Payne 1992).

Ecology

In Costa Rica and Mexico, sometimes alone or in small groups, more often in flocks of 20 or more that move to areas with seeding grasses (Stiles and Skutch 1989, Rappole and Warner 1980).

Reproduction

Clutch size is three-six (commonly three-four). Sometimes produces two broods per year. Incubation lasts 12-13 days, by female. Young leave nest at 9-13 days; male may or may not feed nestlings and/or fledged young. Males sometimes have more than one female nesting on their territories.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodShrubland/chaparralOld fieldCropland/hedgerow
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5B
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecS4BYes
OntarioS5BYes
Prince Edward IslandSNAYes
SaskatchewanS4BYes
Nova ScotiaS1B,SUMYes
ManitobaS4BYes
New BrunswickS3BYes
United StatesN5B
ProvinceRankNative
New MexicoS5B,S5NYes
MinnesotaSNRBYes
DelawareS5BYes
TennesseeS5Yes
ConnecticutS5BYes
IowaS5B,S5NYes
ColoradoS3BYes
North CarolinaS5BYes
MassachusettsS4BYes
NevadaS3Yes
OhioS5Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
IndianaS4BYes
KentuckyS5BYes
CaliforniaSNRBYes
South CarolinaS5BYes
MississippiS5BYes
VermontS5BYes
MontanaS4BYes
MarylandS5BYes
West VirginiaS5BYes
ArkansasS5B,S5NYes
New HampshireS5BYes
AlabamaS2N,S5BYes
IllinoisS5Yes
New YorkS5BYes
ArizonaS3Yes
New JerseyS4B,S4NYes
MichiganS5Yes
UtahS2BYes
TexasS5BYes
IdahoSNAYes
FloridaSNRB,SNRNYes
MaineS5BYes
WashingtonSNAYes
Navajo NationS3BYes
WyomingS3BYes
South DakotaS4BYes
PennsylvaniaS4BYes
VirginiaS5Yes
MissouriSNRBYes
District of ColumbiaS4N,S5BYes
North DakotaSNRBYes
OklahomaSNRBYes
KansasS5BYes
LouisianaS5BYes
Rhode IslandS4BYes
WisconsinS5BYes
NebraskaS4Yes
Roadless Areas (78)
Arizona (2)
AreaForestAcres
BoulderTonto National Forest40,359
GaliuroCoronado National Forest28,333
Arkansas (2)
AreaForestAcres
East ForkOzark-St. Francis National Forest13,037
Little BlakelyOuachita National Forest3,342
California (4)
AreaForestAcres
Black ButteLos Padres National Forest5,116
CalienteCleveland National Forest5,953
Sill HillCleveland National Forest5,294
TrabucoCleveland National Forest23,341
Georgia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Kelly RidgeChattahoochee National Forest8,325
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
Indiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mogan RidgeHoosier National Forest8,435
Louisiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Saline Bayou W & S River CorridorKisatchie National Forest5,355
Michigan (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bear SwampHuron-Manistee National Forest3,915
FibreHiawatha National Forest7,432
Missouri (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big Creek Rare II Study AreaMark Twain National Forest9,277
Nevada (2)
AreaForestAcres
Ruby - Lamoille CynHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest32,771
Toiyabe RangeHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest99,225
New Hampshire (4)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
KearsargeWhite Mountain National Forest4,554
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Capitan MountainsLincoln National Forest14,069
Columbine - Hondo Wilderness Study AreaCarson National Forest43,739
West Face Sacramento MountainsLincoln National Forest41,176
North Carolina (12)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
BearwallowPisgah National Forest4,113
Catfish Lake NorthCroatan National Forest11,299
Cheoah BaldNantahala National Forest7,795
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Overflow CreekNantahala National Forest3,379
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
Pennsylvania (1)
AreaForestAcres
Allegheny FrontAllegheny National Forest7,430
Tennessee (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Bald River Gorge AdditionCherokee National Forest1,728
Brushy RidgeCherokee National Forest7,469
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Utah (1)
AreaForestAcres
Lone Peak ContiguousWasatch-Cache National Forest874
Vermont (3)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Griffith Lake 09084Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,833
Woodford 09086Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests2,456
Virginia (21)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Crawford MountainGeorge Washington National Forest9,892
Gum RunGeorge Washington National Forest12,620
Hunting Camp Little Wolf CreekJefferson National Forest8,953
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Little Walker MountainJefferson National Forest9,818
Mt. PleasantGeorge Washington National Forest8,933
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Patterson MountainJefferson National Forest4,865
Peters Mountain Addition A (VA)Jefferson National Forest1,268
Peters Mountain Addition BJefferson National Forest2,909
Price MountainJefferson National Forest9,119
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
Shawvers Run AdditionJefferson National Forest1,927
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
Washington (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mt. Baker Noisy - DiobsudMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest56,039
West Virginia (8)
AreaForestAcres
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
Peters Mountain Addition A (WV)Jefferson National Forest343
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
Wisconsin (2)
AreaForestAcres
09177 - Le Roy CreekChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest8,138
09180 - Perch LakeChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest2,390
References (37)
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