Lazuli Bunting
Lazuli Bunting has surged: up 382% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Lazuli Bunting
The Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena) is a North American member of the Cardinals & Grosbeaks (Cardinalidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4.5–8.5 in long (12–22 cm) — a medium songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 860 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 17 states, most concentrated in the Great Basin.
- Family
- Cardinalidae · Forest birds
Notable Lazuli Bunting Trends
Lazuli Bunting has surged in surveyed states: up 382% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
Lazuli Bunting Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Lazuli Bunting is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.70 (95% range 0.59–0.82). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±16.4%, with 60% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.68 | 0.56 | 0.79 |
| 2026 | 0.68 | 0.57 | 0.80 |
| 2027 | 0.69 | 0.57 | 0.81 |
| 2028 | 0.70 | 0.58 | 0.81 |
| 2029 | 0.70 | 0.59 | 0.82 |
Where the Lazuli Bunting Is Detected
BBS routes recording Lazuli Bunting, sized by most recent count.
Lazuli Bunting Population Trend by State
| Arizona | -87% | 1976 | 12 |
| California | +7% | 1970 | 202 |
| Colorado | +340% | 1971 | 81 |
| Idaho | +602% | 1970 | 58 |
| Kansas | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Montana | +115% | 1970 | 86 |
| Nebraska | -43% | 1982 | 6 |
| Nevada | 16× | 1977 | 30 |
| New Mexico | -92% | 1972 | 18 |
| North Dakota | -66% | 1969 | 19 |
| Oklahoma | insufficient data | n/a | 6 |
| Oregon | +43% | 1970 | 104 |
| South Dakota | +31% | 1970 | 23 |
| Texas | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Utah | +136% | 1970 | 76 |
| Washington | +27% | 1970 | 70 |
| Wyoming | -36% | 1970 | 64 |
Lazuli Bunting Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -47% | 1970 | 89 |
| Great Basin | +241% | 1970 | 181 |
| Northern Rockies | +60% | 1970 | 175 |
| Prairie Potholes | +11% | 1969 | 13 |
| Sierra Nevada | 12× | 1973 | 35 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +89% | 1970 | 139 |
| Badlands and Prairies | +97% | 1969 | 76 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | -46% | 1978 | 20 |
| Coastal California | +52% | 1970 | 98 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | -45% | 1971 | 12 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -89% | 1981 | 9 |
Lazuli Bunting Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 382% since 1969.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.