Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena)

Lazuli Bunting males are one of our more brightly coloured birds. Over the last eight or so years, they have become more common especially in Chilliwack, Agassiz and Hope. They are also fairly common in the northern part of the checklist area around Boston Bar and North Bend. Males will often sing from prominent perches such as telephone wires. Lazuli Buntings are a migratory species that are usually gone from our area by September. They winter as far south as Mexico. Seeds and insects are their primary food source.

Earliest record: May 07, 2013 (Jesperson Dyke, Chilliwack)
Latest record: September 19, 2009 (Island 22 Park)

Similar species:
Males are quite distinctive. Bluebirds are the only other species of similar colour but are larger. Females and juveniles are difficult to tell from the Indigo Bunting, which is an accidental species in our area. It may be impossible to determine if a suspected female Indigo Bunting is not hybridized with a Lazuli Bunting. Pure male Indigo Buntings lack wingbars, white bellies and rusty breasts. (see photos below).

Best Viewing Locations:
In Chilliwack, Island 22 Regional Park, Jesperson Dyke and the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve are all good sites to look for this species. In Hope, Hope Airport and North Bend located in the northern section of the checklist area is also very reliable.

Sources:
Ehrlich, Dobkin and Wheye, (1988)

Noteworthy Data

Photos