This birds stop buy our back yard every year around this time. I thought they were Indigo Buntings, but someone just told me they were not. Any help would be gratly appreciated.
Dave- the only other regularly occurring species in NA that could be confused with the Indigo Bunting (in my opinion) is the related Blue Grosbeak. However, Blue Grosbeaks show rusty wing bars, have a larger, more conical bill, and show black on the face around bill and eye. They are also quite a bit larger than Indigo Buntings. Perhaps your ID person was thinking Blue Grosbeak? Now you can tell him/her why it isn't!