Lazuli Bunting Male

During March and April the Lazuli Buntings (Passerina amoena) begin showing up in Southern California but we don’t usually see them up north until May or June. The bright turquoise blue head, contrasting rufous breast and conspicuous white wing bars make the mature male Lazuli Bunting easily recognizable (click on photos for full sized images).

Lazuli Bunting Male

The female is not as flashy or as easily distinguishable as the male but is beautiful in her own right.

Lazuli Bunting Female

The Lazuli Bunting breeds in brushy habitats from sea level to more than 3,000 meters throughout the western United States and southwestern Canada.

Lazuli Bunting Range Map

They are aptly named for the semi-precious gemstone Lapis Lazuli, however the males exhibit delayed plumage maturation and do not attain full brightness until 2 years old.

Lazuli Bunting Male

Note the black upper mandible in contrast to the pale blue lower mandible.

Lazuli Bunting Male

This is most likely a yearling male. Note the brown feathers on his nape and back and the buff tips on his greater coverts.

Lazuli Bunting Male

Yearling males tend to have paler and duller blue feathers with brown or buff tips, especially on the head, nape, and back, resulting in a dull blue-brown, blotchy appearance. This is even more apparent in the bird in the background of this photo.

Lazuli Bunting Male

If you live in the western United States, or visit during the summer months, these bright blue gems may be seen at backyard bird feeders. This flock was photographed in a friends yard. Isn’t it nice to have friends that feed their local birds?

Written by Larry
Larry Jordan was introduced to birding after moving to northern California where he was overwhelmed by the local wildlife, forcing him to buy his first field guide just to be able to identify all the species visiting his yard. Building birdhouses and putting up feeders brought the avian fauna even closer and he was hooked. Larry wanted to share his passion for birds and conservation and hatched The Birder's Report in September of 2007. His recent focus is on bringing the Western Burrowing Owl back to life in California where he also monitors several bluebird trails. He is a BirdLife Species Champion and contributes to several other conservation efforts, being the webmaster for Wintu Audubon Society and the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Urban Bird Foundation. He is now co-founder of a movement to create a new revenue stream for our National Wildlife Refuges with a Wildlife Conservation Pass.