Indigo Bunting?

[Rich Reich]

Is this a molting Indigo Bunting? Taken today at Corkscrew Swamp in Naples FL.

Thanks.

Rich Reich

[Rich Reich]

Is this a molting Indigo Bunting? Taken today at Corkscrew Swamp in Naples FL.

Thanks.

Rich Reich

This front view may be helpful.

[Paul Guris]

At first glance this looks like a Lazuli Bunting to me. The soft dove-like coloration and palish blue look good, and so do the soft buff wingbars. I don't have time to dig into it too far right now, but I'll try to get back to it later. If you don't get a definitive answer, I can send this out to people who see a lot more of these than I do.

[John Chardine]

I agree the wing-bars seem prominent but would the blue all the way down from the chin to the belly in the second image not suggest Indigo?

[Jim Buescher]

Hybrids of these two species have been known to occur. A possibility?

[Paul Guris]

Hybrids of these two species have been known to occur. A possibility?

UGH! The dreaded "H" word.

Let me pass this around to a few people who are far more familiar with both buntings than I am, possibly even with hybrids. I'll report back.

[Daniel Cadieux]

I didn't think Lazuli Buntings were found in Florida, and my guides don't show that either? I know there can be location surprises, but I'd go with Indigo based on that, and the lack of orange on the breast feathers.

[Chris Sloan]

This seems like a clear Indigo to me. It is molting in some blue feathers in the belly in places where a Lazuli would not have blue feathers. I don't see any clear cut feature that would be inconsistent with a pure Indigo.

I will note that Lazuli is a regular vagrant to the eastern U.S. so you can't rule it out purely on the basis of location.

[Paul Guris]

I got a couple of answers from people who actually know what these species look like in the winter, and they both say Indigo. Apparently the soft brown tips are typical of a winter bird.

Thanks for posting this one Rich. I've seen one winter male Lazuli and have never seen a winter male Indigo. It appears to be a plumage that is very poorly handled in the standard field guides.

[Rich Reich]

I got a couple of answers from people who actually know what these species look like in the winter, and they both say Indigo. Apparently the soft brown tips are typical of a winter bird.

Thanks for posting this one Rich. I've seen one winter male Lazuli and have never seen a winter male Indigo. It appears to be a plumage that is very poorly handled in the standard field guides.

Thanks for the help. Does anyone have an idea as to when the molting process probably started and how long it will take for completion? You're right about the field guides poorly documenting this plumage.