March
15, 2009 - The red-winged blackbird males arrived with the grackles.
At that time, there was little to no red on the wings (just a thin
yellow band). The gang looked like just a bunch of good ole
boys. First comes the staking out of territory. With the arrival of
the females much dancing, posturing and showing of the red began
(and probably a few other activities behind the bushes). These
birds tend to exhibit the most conspicuous sign of spring in our
backyard.
The red-winged blackbird is full of surprises. Last summer I
didn't pay a lot of attention to these birds and didn't notice the
different look of the females and the juveniles.
Although these birds do stay year-round in our area, we didn't see
them all winter. When they first arrived in spring, they had very
little red showing on their wings - just small bands of yellow. We
novices thought that very odd. Then the fun began! Soon their red
epaulettes appeared. They danced and postured and displayed very
aggressive behavior towards each other.
The females appeared next. The buff-reddish gold coloring on
the throat, blending with brown and white streaks on the rest of the
body made them look like an entirely different species. Hooray for bird
books! She really is a very, pretty bird. The males thought so too
as the courting ritual began in earnest.
We had no idea where the couples nested until we experienced our
first exhibition of mobbing one morning as we filled feeders. Off in
the old growth of trees at the back of our property and near the small
river down the slope, the red-winged blackbirds were circling,
swooping and screaming. Our sharp-shinned hawk must have taken too
much interest in their breeding area. It was heartening to see
that while birds can be aggressive with their own kind for pecking
order, they willingly band together for the mutual protection of the
young.
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Size:
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Length: 7-9.5 in
Weight: 1.8 oz Wingspan: 13 in
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ID:
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Male: Stocky body; slightly larger than female; black overall; bright red shoulder patch
(epaulettes) edged in yellow; fairly short tail; rounded wings;
moderately thick bill; feet anisodactylous (three toes point
forward and one toe points backward)
Female and Juvenile: Dark brown upperparts; heavily streaked
brown and buff underparts; eyebrow, lower cheek, and throat are
yellowish buff; male juveniles may sometimes have reddish tinge on throat, chin
and wing coverts
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Habitat:
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Marshes, fields, meadows and woodlands
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Diet:
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Insects, weed seeds and grain; feeders for cracked corn and
bird seed
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Family Behavior:
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Mating Habits: Colonial; males polygynous (more than one
mate); males arrive early to claim territory with song and
display of red epaulettes; 2-3 broods per year
Nests: Cup-shaped; built by female of reeds, grass, moss and
milkweed fibers, placed on clumps of grass, weeds or shrubs near
water
Eggs: 4-6 grayish green with irregular brown and gray markings;
female and male incubate 10-14 days
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless, naked, eyes closed) and
stay in nest 11-14 days; fed by both parents
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Social Activities:
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Join mixed flock of blackbirds to form enormous roosts;
segregated by sex and age
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Range:
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Year round in most of US; migrates south from most of Canada
and northern-most US
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Vocalization:
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Song is a loud konk-la-ree; call is check note; warning call
is tseert or teeew
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Lifespan: |
At least 14 years |
