indigo bunting

American  

noun

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

---

indigo bunting British  

noun

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

---

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 rose-breasted grosbeak is there too, and the red-eyed vireo, and the indigo bunting.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 22, 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

She was joined by her mate, a handsome blue lazuli bunting, even more beautiful than our lovely indigo bunting, and he flew beside her full of life and joy.

From A-Birding on a Bronco by Florence A. Merriam