ID Tips: Blue Grosbeak vs. Indigo Bunting

Male Blue Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings in breeding plumage can look similar in the field and beginner birders often have a difficult time telling them apart. This video is the ultimate guide to differentiating these two species.
Download the comparison graphic for free here: app.box.com/s/e076v6lx411dcvh...
Links to calls
Blue Grosbeak: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/B...
Indigo Bunting: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/I...
Link to our blog article on the same topic: badgerlandbirding.wordpress.c...
Special thanks to the following people for allowing us to use their content in this video:
Terry Sohl for his Blue Grosbeak and Indigo Bunting range maps at 1:00, 1:15, 1:29, and 1:43
www.sdakotabirds.com/species/...
www.sdakotabirds.com/species/...
Andrew Weitzel
Indigo Bunting and Blue Grosbeak photo used in cover photo and comparison graphic used at :50 and 3:13
flic.kr/p/26C7yDv
flic.kr/p/Xj7NBs
Peter E Hart.
Female Indigo Bunting at 2:47
flic.kr/p/TqPKRQ
Bettina Arrigoni
Female Blue Grosbeak at 2:29
flic.kr/p/26WU6L8
Patricia Pierce
Indigo Bunting Bill Size at 1:56
flic.kr/p/FoLmrn
Andrew Cannizzaro
Blue Grosbreak Bill Size at 1:59
flic.kr/p/248ZskS
Jim Hudgins/USFWS.
Indigo Bunting Mask at 2:43
flic.kr/p/zgSkS6
All other photos and videos by Derek and Ryan Sallmann
#IDTips #BadgerlandBirding #Identification

[@marshabennett8107]

Spotted a male indigo bunting outside my living room window in Northwest Michigan this morning, lighted in a pine and sang. I found your video, and it helped me identify it. Thank you.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Awesome! Glad you found the video helpful 👍

[@matt82281]

Current Brooklyn (since 2004) resident having grown up as a young birder in Wisconsin I am really enjoying these videos! Makes me want to plan a bird-centric trip back to visit my parents

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Matt Barber Thanks, Matt! You definitely should!

[@lonnieclemens8028]

Excellent video and very easy to understand. It helped me to determine that I took a picture of an Indigo Bunting this evening.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Awesome! Glad you found the video helpful!

[@sunfishdana]

I definitely caught the grosbeak having a wonderful bath in my birdbath this morning at the end of May in Powhatan , Va.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Sounds awesome!

[@AndrewGurn]

Hey cool! Glad my photos are able to help with the comparison. FUN FACT both my grosbeak and bunting were shot in the same park. Every summer in that park there are usually one or two breeding pairs of grosbeaks but more buntings than you can shake a stick at. My go-to in-the-field differentiators are the difference in their alarm chip calls (the grosbreaks always sound meatier to me) and the grosbeak habit of swishing their tails back in forth. Makes 'em easier to tell apart at a distance.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Yes! Great photos, man! Crazy they were in the same, park. Thanks for the info on the alarm calls as well 👍

[@stustu4283]

Yey!!! Thanks for these id tips!!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

You’re welcome!

[@carolshannon6449]

Living in western WA, it looks like we don't see either...the closest even the lazuli bunting gets is across the Cascades from where I live. Oh well...birding road trip ahead!

[@IceFlex92]

I had a blue Grosbeak and indigo bunting at my feeder last year but havent seen either yet this year

[@ethanring447]

You should also do this for the Canada and cackling goose

[@BadgerlandBirding]

In the works already! :) Thanks for watching and for the comment!

[@jashua2776]

Very helpful.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Glad you found it useful!

[@SpiderCenturion]

We spotted an Indigo Bunting near our house in Washington County...but it vanished after visiting our feeders steadily for 2 weeks. Migration you think?

[@BadgerlandBirding]

SpiderCenturion it’s possible! It could also just be finding food elsewhere :)

[@gerritesch3936]

I have gotten extremely close to 2 blue grosbeak this week in central michigan. There has been zero sightings anywhere near me (never even seen an old report near here, even though someone has had to seen them). I will be so upset if I don't see them before migration😭

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Did you get photos? Make sure to eBird your sighting if it’s rare!

[@imcowgirl08]

will these birds be found in SE Kansas this time of year? May 18th

[@JuanGutierrez-tt1wn]

Cuanto viven estas aves