Photo: dominic sherony / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Blue Bunting
Cyanocompsa parellina
Blue Bunting (Cyanocompsa parellina) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Blue Bunting (Cyanocompsa parellina) is a member of the Cardinalidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 15.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Cardinalidae Cardinals & Allies
- Genus Cyanocompsa
- Species parellina
Quick facts
- Weight
- 15.6 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Cardinalidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Blue Bunting is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Blue Bunting is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Blue Bunting (Cyanocompsa parellina) is a member of the Cardinalidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA Mexico to Nicaragua.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 15.6 g, with a wing length of about 6.8 cm and a tail of around 5.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 577,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blue Bunting?
The Blue Bunting is a small bird that weighs around 15.6 g.
Where does the Blue Bunting live?
The Blue Bunting is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA Mexico to Nicaragua, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Blue Bunting belong to?
The Blue Bunting (Cyanocompsa parellina) belongs to the Cardinalidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Blue Bunting eat?
The Blue Bunting is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Blue Bunting migrate?
The Blue Bunting is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Blue Bunting endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Blue Bunting make?
1 real field recording of the Blue Bunting — including its subsong — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Blue Bunting's range?
The Blue Bunting has a mapped global range of about 577,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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