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My wife and I saw this bird on Saturday and again today at our bird bath. He stayed in our yard for quite a while and we were able to study him in some detail.  He was brilliant blue with a dark blue or black stripe along the lower outside of each wing.  The size and shape was that of a Bunting and the bill was yellow.  There was no eye marking.  We have been birders for  more than 30 years and this is the first time we have seen this bird.  I could not identify it in any books so we tried Google and ended up here.  Both of us are certain that the bill is yellow - that is why we didn't automatically identify it as an Indigo Bunting.  In addition,  the beak was finer than that of an Indigo Bunting.    We are in Virginia Beach, Virginia, near the Chesapeake Bay.

I live in St. Louis, MO and have seen this bird as it is described in this thread.  We are beginners, but we are determined to identify all of the birds we have seen in our backyard.  We saw this blue bird last week, and it had a distinct yellow bill.  It did look similar to the indigo bunting, but we cannot explain the yellow bill.

I live in South Jersey and both my husband and I have seen this bird.  It is a beautiful shade of blue, looks very much like an indigo bunting, but with a bright yellow bill.  This is the first spring we have had bird feeders so I am unaware if it is usually in this area.  Frustration trying to find it in any bird books led me to search the net for any information. 

I live just south of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  I'm pretty sure I saw the same bird this morning.  I had a friend come down to help me identify it but it hasn't come back.  I thought I had a picture of it but learned I also have blue grosebeaks which I noticed for the first time on Sunday.  The blue grosebeak comes quite often and I have quite a few pictures of him.  It is smaller than the Rose breasted grosebeak male and female.  The blue bird with the yellow beak is the same size as the gold finch.  Very beautiful.  It had a very small head and that bright yellow beak.  I didn't get to see it for very long but since I was standing in front of the window I couldn't move to go get my camera.  I'll be ready next time and will try to get a picture if he comes back for all of you.

I just found this forum trying to figure out what this little blue bird that just visited us is! 

As most of you are describing, it's completely blue (beautiful, vivid, blue) and definitely has a yellow beak.  This bird was very small, 2-3" but appears fully mature.  Unfortunately I missed getting a picture of it, but would love to figure out what it is!  I'm in SW Virginia.

I'm in western Iowa near Omaha, Nebraska.  We, too, just saw this bird tonight for the first time although we've had a feeder for five years.  The small royal blue bird with a definitely yellow beak was on the finch feeder with the goldfinches.  It even behaved like the finches and didn't mingle with the other birds.  I hope we can find out what it is. 

This is the first year I've seen what I think is an Indigo Bunting - see attached photo.  The beak color seems to change depending on where the sun is, and appears yellow in some of my photos, but is mostly black when viewed without a lense.  I think that all of the wild fires in Georgia and other areas are sending native birds out of their normal nesting areas since we are seeing birds we don't normally see on the northeast coast of Florida - indigo buntings, rose breasted grosbeaks, pine warblers, cedar waxwings, etc...It's sad that their homes are being destroyed and they are being forced out of their natural territory!

Yes, most definitely an Indigo Bunting. They're so beautiful! In the photo, the bill looks rather like a slate gray/blue-ish color.

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Art Thread

I was very happy to find this, after just seeing one of these birds at my feeder! I searched my bird book with no luck, so I turned to the internet. The bird I saw was bright blue with a definite yellow beak, about the size of the goldfinches that were also at the feeders. I live in NW Ohio.

My husband and I both saw this bird at our feeder this morning.   Will have the camera ready if he comes back.  The yellow bill was very definite, the body small, dark blue going to black towrad the edges of wings and tail.  We haven't IDed it yet!   Crystal

They are common & widespread throughout the East & Southwest, one of the first Spring arrivals here in the mid-Atlantic. Have you heard them sing? It's pretty distinctive. Check out Cornells' page on them:

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Indigo_Bunting.html 

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"I put it down. you gotta pick it up." —Thelonious Monk

Nope.  No yellow bill on the Cornell page for Indigo Bunting.  In fact, there is no North American bird which is all blue with a yellow bill.  Until somebody posts a photo of one of these all blue yellow-billed beasts, which are apparently all over eastern North America, color me skeptical. 

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Joseph Morlan
Fall Birding Classes in San Francisco start October 28

I am from Northwest New Jersey and also have this bird. First time I've seen anything like it. He has been at my feeder every morning for a week. It definately is not a Indigo Bunting. They are bigger and don't have the yellow beak. I too took some pictures but they're hard to photograph. If anyone finds out what kind of bird it is please let me know.

Thanks

Jea9

either that is one dwarf cardinal, or one giant indigo.....it appears to be 2 times as large as i would expect an indigo to be... maybe a blue grosbeak???picture isnt clear enuf to guarantee the shape or color of the beak....

Here's an Indigo Bunting I spotted recently in Eastern Kansas. The bill looks grayish-blue in early morning light.

http://www.whatbird.com/forums/photos/nieblas_gallery/picture12164.aspx

They were common in the Misouri Valley, often feeding at the side of gravel roads. 

In the wild I found them difficult to photograph because they were pretty shy, at least the ones I was running across.

Light and color can be very tricky. Hope someone manages a shot of the mystery yellow-billed birds.

Chris

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Chris from Denver