Bird ID --- Birdy or Anybody

[Gayle]

A bird that looks very much like a cardinal except it it blue.  Can't decide between Indigo Bunting or Blue Grosbeak.

 Audubon bird book shows Indigo Bunting with thinner sharp bill & Blue Grosbeak with black conical bill.

Audubon app shows the Bunting with the conical bill & the Grosbeak with also the conical, but  lighter bill (not black)

If there were such a thing as a Blue Cardinal I would say I have one.  LOL

[luvmyb_b]

That is a puzzle, Gayle. Can you get a picture?

[Gayle]

One thing I can not do Karen, is take bird pictures. LOL

 They always fly away before I get anywhere near them & I can't take through the window because of screen.

[nybirder]

Gayle--I've never seen a Blue Grosbeak. They are very rare here. From my experience with grosbeaks in general, their beaks are quite heavy. So you are saying that the bird had a bill lighter in color than an Indigo Bunting?

I'm not sure what you used for ID so please forgive me if I'm repeating something, but here's a side-by-side pic of the grosbeak next to the bunting. The breeding plumage for the grosbeak shows a pretty prominent pattern on the wing. You should be in breeding plumage time. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue_Grosbeak/species-compare/67385731

For me, the beak is always a give-away on grosbeaks because it is so heavy and thick.

When you say it looked like a cardinal, you do mean that it had a crest on it? If so, then I'm really mystified!

Birdy

[mnwildflowers]

A blue jay?

[Gayle]

No Melissa, not a Blue Jay but a good guess.

Birdy, I'm leaning toward the Indigo Bunting,  The coloring & head shape in your picture is closer.  What confused me was in the bird book it shows a different  type of bill; thinner & sharper.  But the phone app you shared recently shows the conical bill which this bird has.  (Both book & app are Audubon, but the book is old, if that makes any difference.)

When I say looks like a "blue cardinal"  I'm referring to size, body shape & bill.

[nybirder]

From what you are saying, I'm figuring Indigo Bunting, too. I highly recommend www.allaboutbirds.org/ from Cornell for online ID. Their pictures are wonderful and they are set up to show and compare similar species. You can also listen to the recording of their song. That is an absolute way to ID one of those birds.

Many of the books are very good, too. I particularly like Sibley's because they show some of the oddball birds, like occasional rarities and hybrids.

Hope you get to see it again. Indigo Buntings are one of my favorites.

Birdy

[plantdoctor]

Gayle....Mary often posts pictures of Scrub jays....just a guess.  Charlene

[grandmazn8]

My first thought was Indigo Bunting as well, but the bill description you gave confused me as well. I have had several in the past, and on a few rare occasions a Painted Bunting. Both are beautiful birds. Enjoy yours and try to get a pic if you can.

BTW, I had my first hummer this morning (that I saw at least), so they must finally be on their way. I read that the cold in certain areas has delayed them.

[Gayle]

Charlene, we don't have Scrub Jays here.  So not that.  We do have Blue Jays & they don't look like this bird.

Birdy, this one will be back.  I see them here off & on this time of yr.

I just checked that site out & Indigo Bunting is what it is.

Thanks everybody.

[nybirder]

Play the Indigo Bunting song online and get an idea of what it sounds like. Then you'll know if it's hanging around even if you don't see it. We do a lot of birding by ear around here once the leaves come out on the trees.

By the way . . . these buntings do not look blue but black in certain light. I've have seen them sitting high up on a tree with the light coming from the wrong direction and they look like a totally different bird.

Enjoy!

Birdy

[Gayle]

Yes they do sometimes look almost black.

Unfortunately my poor hearing no longer lets me hear most  bird songs & hasn't for a long time. .  Not unless they happen to be a few feet from me at the time.