If the female is incubating the chicks, she’ll sometimes remain in the nest all night. Indigo buntings don’t nest on the ground but do nest very near the ground at the height of just 1m or so. Cowbirds regularly parasitize Indigo bunting nests and lead to high nest failure rates. However, they’re reluctant to approach the nest if humans are nearby, so nests built near humans risk failure if this impacts the feeding of the chicks.Īn exception is when the female Indigo bunting spots a cowbird in the vicinity. Indigo buntings only abandon their nests if they have no choice, for example, if it’s destroyed by predators or adverse weather. It’s a pretty arduous process that takes around 7 to 8 days to complete in most cases.įAQs Do Indigo Buntings abandon their nests? The male might attend the construction process but doesn’t actually do any work. The female handles all nest construction duties.

Do male or female Indigo Buntings build the nest? The very latest young fledge in September - though they’re unlikely to survive unless the weather is particularly mild. Many pairs raise two broods also, in which case they lay eggs through July and August or even September. However, pairs will re-attempt if the first nest(s) fails until around August or even September. Most female Indigo buntings lay eggs in mid-May. Indigo buntings often raise two broods to three broods, which partly accounts for their long breeding season. Indigo buntings have a relatively long breeding season that lasts from late April and early to mid-May until August or even September.

Many pairs raise two broods second clutches may be laid in late August or even September - one nest contained young on 26th September! How long do Indigo Buntings nest for? However, studies in Michigan and Ontario found that first eggs are typically laid in mid-May. Indigo buntings nest in May through until as late as August and September. Phenology What time of year do Indigo Buntings nest? On rare occasions, Indigo buntings choose to build nests in the lower story of a tree at the height of around 10m or so at the most, but studies suggest this consists of less than 1% of nests. They prefer to nest in bushes, hedges, and shrubs rather than trees, but some nests are constructed in young tree saplings. Indigo bunting nests are built at a height of just 1m or less. Chosen species require enough vertical stability to support the nests, but other than that, these flexible birds make use of whatever shrubs are available.Ī small percentage of nests are built in trees at a height of 10m or above (around 1% in one study). Nests are infrequently built in the lower story of a tree or young tree saplings. Some 40 plant species have been recorded as nesting sites raspberries, dogwood, goldenrod, poison ivy, stinging nettles, rose, juniper, and various species of herbs are all popular choices. Nests are typically built in low-lying dense shrubs and vegetation. Instead, they build small dome-shaped nests in shrubs and bushes at a height of 1m or lower. If the backyard contains dense low-lying shrubs, then Indigo buntings could certainly take up residence there in the breeding season. There’s no substantial evidence that Indigo buntings nest in the same place each year, but they may return to the same breeding grounds each year after migration. They’re most abundant in Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.ĭo Indigo Buntings nest in the same place every year? They’re common across the Great Plains, west to Colorado, south to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Florida. Indigo buntings breed across North America north of Mexico, including some parts of southern Canada. While Indigo buntings nest in shrubs and bushes near or in backyards, they don’t nest in bird boxes. Most Indigo Bunting nests are built in wild or semi-wild locations near the edges of paths, railways, roadsides, fields, and open areas neighboring forests and woodlands. Nest Location Where do Indigo Buntings nest?

Indigo blue bunting bird