Indigo Bunting update
As most of you know, I have been hosting an overwintering Indigo Bunting since the beginning of February. I put my last record photos of him and notes from my sighting into eBird and the following is from my report:
Monday turned out to be the last day of his amazing visit. He spent very little time at the feeder and was mostly seen sort of skirting around the area, only stopping at the feeder a couple of times that I saw. I managed a couple of photos in the morning, when he was in the bushes where I believe he roosted each night.
I last saw him at around 2:30 in the afternoon, when he perched briefly on the nearby maple tree and flew over to the feeder but he immediately hopped back and did not feed from it. On some of the previous days' visits he ate voraciously and aggressively at the feeder and he definitely seemed more listless over the last several days. Now I know that he was getting ready to move back to his breeding grounds.
I was so fortunate to see this beautiful bird each and every day for 60 days. I got to see him transition from his tattered looking non-breeding plumage into nearly full breeding plumage. It's amazing when you realize that birds are individuals, struggling through their daily lives, and I was happy to support him through some bitter cold and even snow storms. I never let the feeder go empty and was rewarded with his visits – He brightened a very cold winter.
I will miss him!
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
Prologue: I will be checking eBird reports of Indigo Buntings with photos going forward – 'Indy' had a very yellow lower mandible which was visible even at a distance. I thought this would change as he came into breeding plumage but it did not. I hope that if anyone gets photos of an Indigo Bunting with this feature they will let me know; it might turn out to be him. I hope perhaps next winter he will come back and visit again.
P.S. my last closeup photos of him were from the day before and they are in my checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S319988859
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
On Apr 11, 2026, at 10:07 PM, Chuck Imbergamo imbercj@comcast.net wrote:
As most of you know, I have been hosting an overwintering Indigo Bunting since the beginning of February. I put my last record photos of him and notes from my sighting into eBird and the following is from my report:
Monday turned out to be the last day of his amazing visit. He spent very little time at the feeder and was mostly seen sort of skirting around the area, only stopping at the feeder a couple of times that I saw. I managed a couple of photos in the morning, when he was in the bushes where I believe he roosted each night.
I last saw him at around 2:30 in the afternoon, when he perched briefly on the nearby maple tree and flew over to the feeder but he immediately hopped back and did not feed from it. On some of the previous days' visits he ate voraciously and aggressively at the feeder and he definitely seemed more listless over the last several days. Now I know that he was getting ready to move back to his breeding grounds.
I was so fortunate to see this beautiful bird each and every day for 60 days. I got to see him transition from his tattered looking non-breeding plumage into nearly full breeding plumage. It's amazing when you realize that birds are individuals, struggling through their daily lives, and I was happy to support him through some bitter cold and even snow storms. I never let the feeder go empty and was rewarded with his visits – He brightened a very cold winter.
I will miss him!
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
Prologue: I will be checking eBird reports of Indigo Buntings with photos going forward – 'Indy' had a very yellow lower mandible which was visible even at a distance. I thought this would change as he came into breeding plumage but it did not. I hope that if anyone gets photos of an Indigo Bunting with this feature they will let me know; it might turn out to be him. I hope perhaps next winter he will come back and visit again.
Chuck,
Your love for this bird and others is plain to see.
Thank you for caring. And for helping this little guy get through
our difficult winter.
And we are so appreciative that you continue your important role as CT
Birds Moderator.
Take care,
Tom
On Sat, Apr 11, 2026 at 10:08 PM Chuck Imbergamo via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
As most of you know, I have been hosting an overwintering Indigo Bunting
since the beginning of February. I put my last record photos of him and
notes from my sighting into eBird and the following is from my report:
Monday turned out to be the last day of his amazing visit. He spent very
little time at the feeder and was mostly seen sort of skirting around the
area, only stopping at the feeder a couple of times that I saw. I managed a
couple of photos in the morning, when he was in the bushes where I believe
he roosted each night.
I last saw him at around 2:30 in the afternoon, when he perched briefly on
the nearby maple tree and flew over to the feeder but he immediately hopped
back and did not feed from it. On some of the previous days' visits he ate
voraciously and aggressively at the feeder and he definitely seemed more
listless over the last several days. Now I know that he was getting ready
to move back to his breeding grounds.
I was so fortunate to see this beautiful bird each and every day for 60
days. I got to see him transition from his tattered looking non-breeding
plumage into nearly full breeding plumage. It's amazing when you realize
that birds are individuals, struggling through their daily lives, and I was
happy to support him through some bitter cold and even snow storms. I never
let the feeder go empty and was rewarded with his visits – He brightened a
very cold winter.
I will miss him!
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
Prologue: I will be checking eBird reports of Indigo Buntings with photos
going forward – 'Indy' had a very yellow lower mandible which was visible
even at a distance. I thought this would change as he came into breeding
plumage but it did not. I hope that if anyone gets photos of an Indigo
Bunting with this feature they will let me know; it might turn out to be
him. I hope perhaps next winter he will come back and visit again.
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
Nice, Chuck. Brightens up a hard winter, I’m sure.
Chris
Chris Wood
Woodbury, CT
203 558-0654
[1]C.S. Wood Photo Sampler
On Apr 12, 2026, at 3:06 AM, Thomas Robben via CTBirds
<ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
Chuck,
Your love for this bird and others is plain to see.
Thank you for caring. And for helping this little guy get through
our difficult winter.
And we are so appreciative that you continue your important role as CT
Birds Moderator.
Take care,
Tom
On Sat, Apr 11, 2026 at 10:08 PM Chuck Imbergamo via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
As most of you know, I have been hosting an overwintering Indigo
Bunting
since the beginning of February. I put my last record photos of him
and
notes from my sighting into eBird and the following is from my
report:
Monday turned out to be the last day of his amazing visit. He spent
very
little time at the feeder and was mostly seen sort of skirting
around the
area, only stopping at the feeder a couple of times that I saw. I
managed a
couple of photos in the morning, when he was in the bushes where I
believe
he roosted each night.
I last saw him at around 2:30 in the afternoon, when he perched
briefly on
the nearby maple tree and flew over to the feeder but he immediately
hopped
back and did not feed from it. On some of the previous days' visits
he ate
voraciously and aggressively at the feeder and he definitely seemed
more
listless over the last several days. Now I know that he was getting
ready
to move back to his breeding grounds.
I was so fortunate to see this beautiful bird each and every day for
60
days. I got to see him transition from his tattered looking
non-breeding
plumage into nearly full breeding plumage. It's amazing when you
realize
that birds are individuals, struggling through their daily lives,
and I was
happy to support him through some bitter cold and even snow storms.
I never
let the feeder go empty and was rewarded with his visits – He
brightened a
very cold winter.
I will miss him!
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
Prologue: I will be checking eBird reports of Indigo Buntings with
photos
going forward – 'Indy' had a very yellow lower mandible which was
visible
even at a distance. I thought this would change as he came into
breeding
plumage but it did not. I hope that if anyone gets photos of an
Indigo
Bunting with this feature they will let me know; it might turn out
to be
him. I hope perhaps next winter he will come back and visit again.
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just
"join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to:
ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association -
Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut.
For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join"
or "leave" in the subject or body to:
ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
References