In the West, the male Lazuli Bunting lights up dry brushy hillsides, thickets, and gardens with flashes of blue and orange, like a lapis gemstone. He stands on bushes and sings his squeaky, jumbled song to defend his territory. The softly colored female is usually close by, balancing on tiny stems to reach seeds and other food. This bird is related to cardinals and grosbeaks and looks like a stocky finch. It often feeds at bird feeders, especially those with white proso millet.

The Lazuli Bunting, unlike most other species, does not molt its feathers while on the breeding or wintering grounds. After breeding, they begin molting some feathers before migrating to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, where insects are plentiful after monsoon rains. They replace their feathers in these “molting hotspots” before migrating south for the winter.

photo credit: Lenny Frieling

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