Lazuli Bunting

Description

The Lazuli Bunting is a songbird of the Blessed Isle, named for the gemstone Lapis Lazuli.

The male is easily recognized by its bright blue head and back, its conspicuous white wingbars, and its light rusty breast and white belly. The color pattern is somewhat similar to that of the Bluebird, but the Bunting’s smaller size and distinct bill shape make it easily distinguishable. The female is brown, grayer above and warmer underneath, with two thin pale wingbars.

The Lazuli Bunting’s song is a high, rapid, strident warble.

Range & Habitat

Buntings live and breed on the Blessed Isle, mostly the central regions and along the Western coast, rarely venturing to the Northern or Eastern coasts. Their habitat is brushy areas and sometimes weedy pastures, generally well-watered, and sometimes in towns.

This bird makes a loose cup nest of grasses and rootlets placed in a bush. It lays three or four pale blue eggs.

Diet

These birds eat mostly seeds and insects. They may feed conspicuously on the ground or in bushes, but singing males are often very elusive in treetops.

Cultural Significance

The Lazuli Bunting is a symbol of the Ascending Fire month in Dynastic Fashions.