Brown bird on the finch feeder

I caught a glimpse of a brown bird on the finch feeder. It was all brown and had a gray beak. Any ideas? ~ Lansing, MI

female Indigo Bunting

Indigo Buntings are a dark gray or black bird about the size of a goldfinch. When the sun hits the male his feather structure refracts the sun to make him appear a brilliant indigo blue. The females are all brown. In mid-Michigan, we often see them at the finch or sunflower bird feeders.

Male American Goldfinch and Indigo Bunting

Photo by

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jackanapes/15376001/

Indigos like a variety of food, including small seeds, nuts, berries, insects, mosquitoes, flies, aphids, small spiders, buds, goldenrod, thistle, grasses, and herbs. At my feeders they like the Nyger Thistle and the No-Mess blend which has the sunflower chips, peanuts, and millet without the hulls.

Related Article:

• Do We Have Indigo Buntings in Michigan? http://t.co/tUlMhMW
• Gardening for birds http://bit.ly/K5IG0T
• Blue Jays aren't blue http://bit.ly/zlNPHx
• How birds and bees see UV light http://bit.ly/wLilkP 
• Types of Bird feathers http://bit.ly/J8aZMh

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