By Paul Noeldner
Friends of Urban Nature

Our Birds of the Month for June and July are two colorful Wisconsin summer birds, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak and the Indigo Bunting.

Grosbeak is derived from the French word “grosbec” which means “large beak,” which is useful for cracking and eating seeds. They nest in Wisconsin in the summer and go to Mexico and as far south as Peru during the winter. Males are black and white with a red Superman triangle on their chest. Females are brown with white streaks on their chest and over their eyes. Look for a Rose-breasted Grosbeak when you hear a robin that sounds like it took singing lessons.

Indigo Buntings are the bright blue cousins of our more common red cardinals, and they also have a large beak useful for cracking and eating seeds. The word “bunting” means decoration, and their brilliant blue flashes brightly in sunlight.

Indigo Buntings like to spend time in treetops. They particularly like forests that have newly burned areas with young pine trees. The best way to find them is to listen for their high-pitched lilting song, which sounds like “fire fire, where where, here here.” Even with their bright colors, these birds are not easy to see high in a tree or behind a bush, so you may want use a pair of binoculars to help you look for them.

Backpacks with bird guides and binoculars for children and adults can be checked out free from Madison Public Libraries, thanks to donations by Feminist Bird Club, Friends of Pheasant Branch and other donors. Binoculars are also available to borrow on Madison FUN Bird and Nature Adventures listed in the Northside News calendar.