Lazuli
Bunting, Passerina amoena
An adult female in full breeding appearance in late June.
The glorious colors of breeding male Lazuli Buntings are attained mostly by wear rather than molt, except for some replacement of dull by bright feathers around the head and throat. Otherwise, the blues and reds are concealed by buff-brown tips during winter, and emerge as those tips wear off during late winter and spring. Some birds, like the ones at the top of the page, are in full breeding array in April, others, like the one just above, are well along by then, and the bird shown below still has a long way to go in mid-May.
