Photo of the Week: A Blue Gem
Named for the gemstone lapis lazuli, the lazuli bunting ranges across much of western North America, from southern Canada to Mexico, breeding in the northwest and migrating through the southwest to winter along the Pacific coast of Central America.
The male’s plumage features bright iridescent blue on the head and back, a rusty brown breast and white belly. Though the brown female resembles females of other bunting species, both male and female lazuli buntings can be distinguished by their characteristic white wingbars. J. Chinn, of Arizona, photographed this female lazuli bunting chasing off a male using a Nikon D800 with a 150-500mm lens.
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