Lazuli Buntings are a western specialty and a gorgeous bird that is relatively easy to find in Glacier National Park if you know their habitat and their song. The Lazuli blue color is really stunning, especially in the morning light, and contrasts beautifully with their orange breast. They are fun to find!
Here’s what you need to know: Lazuli Buntings in Glacier love shrubby habitat. As you’re driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road you’ll drive through several patches that primarily consist of shrubs and other lower growing vegetation. These patches are usually in avalanche chutes. These steep locations are where avalanches periodically come down, wiping out all the trees sticking up above the snow. One of the important functions of this “ecological disturbance” is that it creates habitat for the buntings! (…and Macgillivray’s Warblers, Dusky Flycatchers, and other cool critters like Grizzlies!). If you’re in an avalanche chute it’s pretty likely you’re in a spot where there’s Lazuli Buntings. You can find them in other areas with sparse trees as well, including Logan pass.
If you know the song, you’ll start hearing it all over the place in June and July. And, fortunately, it sounds very similar to the eastern Indigo Bunting. So if you have an ear for eastern birds, you should be just fine. To me, it sounds like ting ting; tang tang; tong tong. A set of three pairs of ringing notes. Play it for yourself a few times before you go into a shrubby area so you know what to listen for and you’ll be fine; it’s not subtle. The call of the Lazuli Bunting is a sharp, metallic chip or chirp, which is often used as a contact call between mates or as an alarm call to warn of predators. Overall, the Lazuli Bunting’s vocalizations are a delightful and charming part of its character and add to its appeal as a beloved bird species.
Well, good luck, finding some Lazulis. It will be a thrill!
