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Conserv. status: SRANK: Widespread Breeder (S4B)

Number of squares Confirmed Probable Possible Point counts 8 40 155 74 Long-term BBS trends Region Years Trend (conf. interv.) Reliab. Manitoba 1970 - 2015 -0.819 (-3.34 - 1.34) Low Canada 1970 - 2015 1.01 (0.431 - 1.57) High

Characteristics and Range The Indigo Bunting is a member of a colourful group of small, finch-like birds and the only one of the genus Passerina that occurs regularly in Manitoba. It is marginally larger than an American Goldfinch. Males are deep blue, but may appear almost black in poor light, while females are pale brownish with faint streaking on the breast; they may show a hint of blue in the plumage. Males are often first noticed when they sing from a conspicuous perch high in a tree or telephone wire. Manitoba lies near the northwestern edge of the breeding range (this species is rare and local in southeastern Saskatchewan), which stretches east through southern Canada to Maine and south to Texas and Florida. The Indigo Bunting winters from Florida (sparingly) and the Caribbean to Mexico and Central America (Payne 2006).

Distribution, Abundance, and Habitat Indigo Buntings were spread throughout the southern quarter of the province (south of ~51.7°N), with the highest relative abundance following the boreal-parkland transition such as the western edge of the Boreal Hardwood Transition (also the highest probability of observation), along the slopes of the Manitoba Escarpment as far north as the Duck Mountains and in the region between southern Lake Winnipeg and the southeast corner of the province, with a lesser concentration in the central Interlake. A small area northwest of Lake Winnipeg that shows somewhat elevated abundance is based on one record (see below). The Indigo Bunting appears to be largely absent from parts of the southern Interlake, the intensively cultivated farmland southwest of Winnipeg, and the extreme southwest corner of the province. The distribution is similar to that shown in The Birds of Manitoba albeit a bit less extensive in the north, with the exception of one remarkable northern record east of North Moose Lake. The preferred habitat is often described as shrubby areas and weedy fields, but in Manitoba most birds are found in mature, open deciduous woods, such as in urban parks, riparian corridors, old gravel pits and forest edges.

Trends, Conservation, and Recommendations BBS results point to increases in Canada between 1970 and 2015 and apparent stability in Manitoba. Slight decreases in the U.S.A. may be due to habitat loss or degradation (Government of Canada 2014). Trapping (for food and pets) in the wintering areas is a problem for this colourful species, while vehicle and building collisions also take a toll, and intensive agriculture and urban expansion result in habitat loss (Payne 2006).

Rudolf F. Koes

Recommended citation: Koes, R. F. 2018. Indigo Bunting in Artuso, C., A. R. Couturier, K. D. De Smet, R. F. Koes, D. Lepage, J. McCracken, R. D. Mooi, and P. Taylor (eds.). The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Manitoba, 2010-2014. Bird Studies Canada. Winnipeg, Manitoba http://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=INBU&lang=en [13 Oct 2024]