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"Shhh! You can't see me behind this large bird feeder!" This extraordinarily blue bird here is a male indigo bunting, which of course gets its name for the color of his feathers! But here is the interesting part: their feathers are not actually blue! Little structures in their feathers that we cannot see with the naked eye refract and reflect blue light, giving them this indigo color. I took
this photograph of this indigo bunting just a couple weeks ago while birdwatching from our patio. Most of the pictures I took were either of this bird from behind (shy little thing!) or blurry. This was the only decent photograph I could capture of his face. Enough about that boring story; here
are some other facts! These male birds are fabulous singers and learn at a very young age. Did you know a song that is sung by a male indigo bunting may be up to 20 years old? The tune is passed down from nearby indigo buntings throughout the years and rarely ever changed! Cool, huh? Also, the oldest documented indigo bunting lived to be over 8 years old; the average lifespan of many large
dogs! If you live in the eastern part of the United States, take a look during late spring throughout the summer in fields and areas abundant with trees. You may see this great bird!
Author's Note: Source: Birds of Michigan Field Guide, Second Edition by Stan Tekiela
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