INDIGO BUNTING 101 



present." The peak of migration generally began on May 18 and 

 continued until approximately May 28. 



In spite of the arguments by some investigators, it now appears 

 that migrant birds utilize trans-Gulf and circum-Gulf routes to 

 and from the United States. As early as 1911 Cooke suspected 

 different spring migration routes by stating "that the early migrants 

 do not reach Louisiana by a land journey, from either the east or 

 the west, but by a direct flight across the Gulf of Mexico." There 

 is at least one record (Bullis, 1954) of indigo buntings seen migrating 

 over the Gulf of Mexico, Apr. 18, 1952, and the abundant spring 

 records from Mexico strongly indicate some northward migration 

 around the Gulf. Stevenson (1957), in his study, "The relative 

 magnitude of the trans-Gulf and circum-Gulf spring migrations," 

 believes that most of the indigos use the trans-Gulf route. A trench- 

 ant examination of spring migration in a single season by Bagg 

 (1955) indicates that birds made a through flight from Yucatan to 

 Maine in 36 hours. He says: "When one considers all aspects of 

 the situation, particularly including the April 17 Florida evidence of 

 heavy trans-Gulf migration of Indigo Buntings, one is led toward the 

 conclusion that the April 17-18, 1954, buntings in the northeastern 

 coastal areas were trans-Gulf migrants which flew nonstop in the 

 strong maritime tropical airflow." As yet undiscovered is the north- 

 ward route taken by birds wintering in Jamaica and other portions of 

 the eastern Caribbean area, but it is probably via peninsular Florida. 



Fall migration commences in late August and may continue through 

 early November. As compared with spring migration, fall migration 

 entails more flocking and larger flocks. At Gainesville, Fla., in the 

 autumn of 1963, indigos (and a few painted buntings) were attracted 

 to a small but dense field of Johnson grass, indigo, sorghum, and 

 beggar's lice. Between October 18 and November 8, 72 indigos 

 were netted and banded. They aU appeared to be birds of the year, 

 and males out-numbered females about 3 to 1. During this time 

 there were only four repeats, indicating a rapid turn-over of buntings 

 utilizing this field. For the Mobile Bay area of Alabama, Imhof 

 (1962) records a maximum daily spring count of 130 indigos, but a 

 maximum fall count of 300. 



Trautman (1940) says: "The southward migration began early 

 for a sparrow and was in progress while some resident birds still had 

 young in the nest or were in family groups. Transient flocks were 

 observed flying overhead during early mornings of late August, and 

 by early September migration had become pronounced. The peak 

 took place between September 10 and 27, and then the species was 

 as numerous as it was m spring, but was less conspicuous. In late 

 summer the males were quiet, and both adults and young were rather 



