Lazuli Bunting
Passerina amoena
These two photographs are of a male Lazuli Bunting, one of the most beautiful birds in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is normally here only during the breeding season. The males generally arrive a few weeks before the females. The males spar amongst themselves as each establishes its own breeding territory. Courtship to establish pair bonds begins when the females arrive. Male birds sing to accomplish both breeding goals of territorial defense and forming a bond with a female. To me, listening for its song in early spring is not only a crucial way to find the bird (each species' songs are unique), but the song itself is one of nature's miracles to be savored. The second photograph above shows the male singing; that's how I found this one along Inspiration Trail in Orinda, CA, on May 3, 2022 (EBMUD permit required). (Click on images to see enlarged versions.)