indigo bunting

noun

: a small finch (Passerina cyanea of the family Cardinalidae) chiefly of eastern North America of which the male is largely deep blue in spring and summer

Examples of indigo bunting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
All indigo buntings eventually molt into brown plumage in the fall. — Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 In addition to the finches, pine siskins and indigo buntings also eat nyjer. — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026 Their dense, mounded shape provides excellent nesting habitat for robins, song sparrows, cardinals, brown thrashers, indigo buntings, and catbirds. — Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2026 The bright orange belly of a Baltimore oriole, the gleaming crimson feathers of a summer tanager and the royal blue plumage of an indigo bunting are naturally eye-catching. — Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 July 2023 See All Example Sentences for indigo bunting

Word History

First Known Use

1783, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of indigo bunting was in 1783

Rhymes for indigo bunting

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Browse Nearby Words

indigo brown
indigo bunting
indigobush
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Cite this Entry

“Indigo bunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indigo%20bunting. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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