One of the prettiest birds we’ve got here in central North Carolina is the Indigo Bunting.
I spotted this one at Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs while walking on the trail a few day’s ago.
These brightly colored little gems are named for their deep sea-color that looks like indigo dye. The males appear to be blue with a tinge of black on the face, wings and tail. Females are toned in a lovely tannish-brown.

Although this bunting is named for its rich hues, that blue color on the males is actually a trick of light.
Believe it or not, adult male indigo buntings in full breeding plumage are covered in black feathers, but thanks to the diffraction of light by the feather structure, they appear to be a brilliant blue, a colour that changes from black to blue to turquoise as the angle of reflected light changes.

You can see the difference in these two photos for yourself.
The first photograph shown above was captured in full sunlight at Bass Lake.

The second posted below was another male Indigo Bunting taken in the woods at Yates Mill Park under much darker photographic conditions.

Notice how his color tones change in the shade?
Pretty cool huh!
Photo by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds