Lazuli Bunting
The Lazuli Bunting is a brightly colored songbird of the west with feather coloration that varies by season. See Tom Grey's site for a variety of photographs of these birds in their different plumage and a nice description of how wear changes the feather color. The name presumably derives from the deep blue mineral Lapis Lazuli, a semi-precious stone valued for its blue color and used for blue pigment by artists of the Renaissance and Baroque, including Masaccio, Perugino, Titian and Vermeer.
The Lazuli Bunting is a member of the Cardinal Family, which includes the Northern Cardinal, Tanagers, the Pyrrhuloxia, Grosbeaks, Buntings, and the Dickcissel.
All images here captured Cave Creek Canyon (Portal, AZ) in April of 2016
The Lazuli Bunting is a member of the Cardinal Family, which includes the Northern Cardinal, Tanagers, the Pyrrhuloxia, Grosbeaks, Buntings, and the Dickcissel.
All images here captured Cave Creek Canyon (Portal, AZ) in April of 2016