Lazuli Bunting
Springtime in the Western States heralds the welcome return of the sky-blue headed Lazuli Bunting and its bubbly springtime song. The Lazuli Bunting is named for a vibrant blue gemstone, lapis lazuli. During its breeding season, a male Lazuli Bunting has bright cerulean-blue head and back, white wing bars, a rusty breast, and white belly. The drabber female is brownish-gray set off by recognizable touches of blue on the wings, tail, and rump. They overwinter along the Pacific coast in Mexico but migrate north in April to search for suitable breeding territories and potential mates in grassy meadows, hillsides and riparian areas.
Lazuli Bunting is known as a fire follower. It colonizes and breeds in burned chaparral in recovery, during the stage when colorful wildflowers—and the insects that feed on them—can proliferate before the resprouting shrubs take over again.
Lazuli Buntings often frequent bird feeders, especially ones that offer millet, sunflower, or nyjer thistle seeds. You can create bird friendly habitat in your own yard by planting native shrubs to provide foraging and even nesting opportunities for the Lazuli Bunting!
