- Agelaius phoeniceus
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".
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.