 Breeding evidence |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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0.658 (0.28 - 1.07)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
The Indigo Bunting remains a rare sight in Saskatchewan. A male was observed flushing from weeds along the side of the road in Moose Mountain, representing the only reliable sighting during the atlas. The paucity of sightings is not surprising as the species reaches the northwestern extent of its range near the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
It seems unfortunate that such a stunningly beautiful bird as the Indigo Bunting is so rare in Saskatchewan. The province is at the extreme northwestern limits of a breeding range that extends east through southern Manitoba, southern Ontario, southwestern Quebec, and the Maritimes south to southern New Mexico, Texas, the Gulf coast, and central Florida. Wintering occurs from central Mexico south through Central America to northwestern Colombia and much of the Caribbean (AOU 1998).
Indigo and Lazuli Buntings share the same nesting habitat-dense riparian shrubbery with tall trees for song perches. Spring migrants often make their first appearances at bird feeders.
Indigo Buntings are rare summer residents in southeastern Saskatchewan. Stragglers have been spotted west to Cypress Hills IP 16 Jun 2014 (Randi Edmonds and ARS) and north, to north of Big River 22 Jun 1993 (D. Sawatzky, E. Cumming). Hybridizes with the Lazuli Bunting in the Qu'Appelle Valley.
Original text by Alan R. Smith. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Indigo Bunting in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Indigo Bunting in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=INBU&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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