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

See Examples For:

indigo bunting

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

Our indigo bunting is as artful and secretive about its nesting-habits as any of the sparrows.

From Under the Maples by Burroughs, John