What bird food should I use to attract an Indigo Bunting to a New Hampshire backyard birdfeeder?
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M$4 Answers
To attract birds to your yard it needs to be somewhat "natural." Plant some low shrubs and let the grass grow up around them. Bugs will make their home in the shrubs and grassy area naturally, but you could also buy some varieities from a garden-supply store and turn them loose in the area.
You could plant a berry bush but while you're waiting for it to grow and produce fruit you could buy some berries from the produce store and put them on a platform feeder that is close to the ground. They will eat a basic commercial bird seed but you can add some berries and nuts to the mix to make it more inviting to them.
A water supply will also help attract birds to your "habitat area" and convince them to stick around. It doesn't have to be a fancy birdbath, just a shallow pan of water placed on the ground would suffice.
If you can make a section of your yard as close to their preferred habitat as possible, your chances of having them visit you and make their home there are the best!
Beautiful birds; I have never seen one before!
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M$Although the Indigo Bunting will forage for insects, seeds, and berries in open fields or abandoned farm lands, they will eat from a platform or hopper bird feeder as well. They prefer much of the same foods as Cardinals, but they will not eat some of the larger seeds. Kaytee makes a fruit and nut mix bird seed that is highly suitable for attracting the Indigo Bunting, and will attract a number of other birds as well. You can also put out some Kaytee Cardinal food as well. (This mix is mostly black oil sunflower seeds, but it has a large percentage of sunflower hearts and chips as well that are in small enough pieces for the Indigo Bunting).
A hopper bird feeder that hangs from a nearby tree is great for Cardinals and indigo Buntings, and contains a plexiglass window that allows the bird to see the food. However, these feeders are more prone to tampering by squirrels that can consume nearly all of your bird food relatively quickly. Also, domestic cats are a large threat to wild birds, and when a feeder is placed near other vegetation, cats tend to hide in the brush and then pounce to attack birds that may be feeding.
You best bet in terms of a feeder would be a pole-mounted platform feeder that is placed out in the open. You can equip these poles with a circular squirrel baffle that prevents squirrels from climbing up to the feeder. (Watching a squirrel try to outwit a baffle is also highly entertaining, so I recommend putting the bird feeder where you can view it from a window.)
I live in Oklahoma, and the Indigo Bunting is very common here in the summer months. There is a pair of these birds that returns to my house every year (for the past three years now). They build a nest on the ceiling fan over my outdoor patio, and they have had babies every year that they have been here. (Because of this, I haven't been able to use my outdoor fan in the summer time, but it is worth it to be able to watch them from my kitchen window.) You will see both the male and female watch over the babies and bring them food, and at times, it even looks like mom and dad are "bickering."
A little known fact about the Indigo Bunting is that they are very monogamous birds. The males will often pick a mate for life and not mate with any other birds. If you do ever encounter a male Indigo Bunting, stop and listen to his song. These birds have a very complex song used to attract females.
Squirrel Baffles: http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/squirrel_baffles_post.asp
Hopper Feeder: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000935STQ/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=4...
Kaytee Fruit and Nut Blend: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=fruit+and+nut+birdfood&um=1&am...
Kaytee Cardinal Food: http://www.petsolutions.com/Cardinal-Food+I71802911+C40001836.aspx
http://www.for-the-birds.info/platform-bird-feeder.htm
http://www.for-the-birds.info/attracting-indigo-buntings.htm
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M$
That Painted Bunting is beautiful and it is amazing to think that although unlikely I might actually see one of them here in New England.
I have put a out recently as food many of the suggestions that I have found in this thread in hopes of the now seemingly less than regal Indigo Bunting to my backyard and you know what I have attracted as a new bird to the backyard?
Catbirds.. which are new to me as well being a beginner to this backyard bird feeding and are a great treat so see and watch as well. They are very vocal and quite active around here in the past 2 weeks. 
Thanks for that video @bunnyphuphu! *Sometimes* I am lucky to hear that song from my patio. I have even heard it in my house before (long story, but all I will say is that these birds also have a penchant for chimneys, so be sure that your fireplace has something to prevent birds from getting inside).
Wow, Kelraye... you're lucky to hear this song from your patio!
If you think the Indigo Bunting is a beautiful bird, you should also check out the Painted Bunting (a close cousin.) I was sitting outside this morning, just before th ran started, and I was watching a Painted Bunting hopping along the ground in search of food. They are the most beautiful birds that I have ever seen, although becoming nearly endangered on the east coast.
We have also been trying to tailor our bird food selections to attract certain birds here in my MA backyard, but I haven't seen a Bunting!
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M$I like the feeder shown below. These little birds do not need perches. They simply cling to the mesh of the feeder and chow down. This also makes it less attractive to the larger birds.
It takes them awhile to find it, but when they do, keep lots on hand!
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M$
We have a feeder with thistle seed specifically to attract finches, and it has done a tremendous job. I think we have at least three different varieties so far! They do love it, and we have to refill it often.
I love the colors - especially in spring when the house finches are bright red and the goldfinches lemon yellow. Looks like Christmas ornaments in the tree! And yes, they do pound a LOT of the stuff!
Spot on answer.
I have an abundance of indigo buntings here in mid missouri and the key to keeping them happy is maintaining a good water source for them and creating a feeding station on the ground which is close to cover.
The buntings prefer to take seed from the ground and don't like to have to compete at an open hanging feeder.
I use several large flat stones close to my koi pond which gives them good cover.
The food I use, that they seem to love, is the cheapest songbird mix which is heavy with millet and sunflower chips and an assortment of various filler seeds, they love the stuff.
My indigos just showed up in the last few days and its not unusual to see a dozen or more feeding at one time, I'll try to take a few pictures in the next few days.
This was the first of the males that showed up early this week, I saw about 1/2 dozen males and a few females today but didn't have my camera handy.