indigo bunting

American  

noun

1. a North American bunting, Passerina cyanea, the male of which is indigo.

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indigo bunting British  

noun

1. a North American bunting, Passerina cyanea, the male of which is bright blue and the female brown

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Etymology

Origin of indigo bunting

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85

Example Sentences

Blue jays, eastern bluebirds, and indigo buntings are all blue birds, but the rich azure of an indigo bunting is nothing like the softer, sky blue of a jay.

From National Geographic • Dec. 7, 2023

The researchers spotted birds in the severely burned patches that they didn’t find in the unburned ones, including the indigo bunting, chestnut-sided warbler and eastern towhee.

From Washington Post • Jan. 7, 2023

Butterflies floated over stalks of milkweed, and an indigo bunting piped from a treetop at the edge of a ragged field.

From Washington Post • Aug. 1, 2022

If you’ve never seen an indigo bunting, a rose-breasted grosbeak, or a prothonotary warbler, you really need to watch this film.

From Slate • Jul. 16, 2012

This beautiful but rather shy and solitary bird occasionally wanders eastward to rival the bluebird and the indigo bunting in their rare and lovely coloring, and eclipse them both in song.

From Bird Neighbors by Blanchan, Neltje