Red-winged Blackbird

Agelaius phoeniceus

Photo by Juan Estevez
Male photographed at the Wakodachatchee Wetlands, Florida, USA

Description

Small blackbird with jet-black body and bright red shoulder patches edged with yellow on bottom. Female and juvenile are heavily streaked brown overall.

Identification

Easily confused with the Tricolored Blackbird.

Voice

Song is composed of a series of introductory notes "konk-la-ree" or "gurr-ga-leee" followed by a terminal buzz or trill. Calls are short and relatively simple - low "clack", sharp nasal "deekk", and metallic "tink".

Photo by bobsofpa
Female photographed in the Green Cay Wetlands, Florida, USA

Distribution

Breeds from Alaska east across Canada to Newfoundland and south to northern Baja California, central Mexico, the Gulf coast, and Florida. Spends winters regularly across the U.S. north to British Columbia, Great Lakes, and Pennsylvania.

Habitat

Preferred habitats include fresh and saltwater marshes, rice paddies, sedge meadows, alfalfa fields, and other croplands.

Behavior

Although primarily a marsh bird, the Red-winged Blackbird will nest near virtually any body of water and occasionally breeds in upland pastures. Each pair raises two or three broods a season, building new nest for each clutch. Each pair raises two or three broods a season, building a new nest for each clutch. After the breeding season, the birds gather with other blackbirds in flocks, sometimes numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Although blackbirds are often considered pests because they consume grain in cultivated fields, farmers benefit because the birds consume harmful insects during the nesting season.

Taxonomy

The Red-shouldered Blackbird from Cuba was formerly considered a subspecies of the Red-winged Blackbird.

Interesting Facts

• Each pair of Red-winged Blackbirds raise 2-3 broods per season. Each time they build a new nest, which keeps the nest from becoming infected with parasites that could kill the baby birds

• During migration the Red-winged Blackbird can travel at over 30 mph.

• The Red-winged Blackbird is native to North America. English Settlers in the year 1600 mentioned seeing this bird.

External Links

• View more images of Red-winged Blackbird in the gallery