Red-winged Blackbird

Scientific Name: Agelaius phoeniceus

Classification: Order: Passeriformes; Family: Icteridae

Red-winged Blackbird

Brief Description

A medium-sized songbird known for its bold social behavior. Males often perch on high vegetation to sing and defend territories by flaring their red wings.

Additional Information

  • Region of Origin: North and Central America; ranges from Alaska and Newfoundland south through the United States to Florida and Mexico.
  • Typical Sighting Period: Year-round in much of the US; spring and summer in the northern US and Canada (February–October).
  • Plumage Details: Adult males are glossy black with bright red and yellow shoulder patches (epaulets). Females are heavily streaked with brown and white, resembling large sparrows. Immature males are dark and streaky with orange-red shoulders.
  • Ecological Significance: Controls insect populations and acts as a food source for larger predators; their nesting habits are indicator species for wetland health.
  • Conservation Status: Least Concern (IUCN); population is large though experiencing some long-term declines due to habitat loss.
  • Observation Tips: Look for them in marshes, wet roadsides, or perched on cattails. In winter, they form massive mixed flocks with other blackbird species in open fields.

Size & Weight

Length: 17-24 cm (6.7-9.4 in); Wingspan: 31-40 cm (12-16 in); Weight: 32-77 g (1.1-2.7 oz).

Diet

Mostly insects during summer (beetles, caterpillars, spiders) and seeds or grains during winter.

Habitat

Freshwater and saltwater marshes, wet meadows, hayfields, and along water-filled ditches.

Migration

Resident in southern and western US; migratory in northern regions, moving south during the winter in huge flocks.

Voice (Call & Song)

A distinct, gurgling 'conk-la-ree!' song; calls include a sharp, liquid 'check' and a high-pitched 'teer'.

Nesting & Breeding

Females build cup-shaped nests in cattails, grasses, or shrubs over water. Clutch size is 2-4 eggs. They are highly polygynous; one male may have up to 15 mates.

Key Field Marks

Conical bill, glossy black body, and the signature red-and-yellow shoulder patches (epaulets).

Similar Species

Tricolored Blackbird (red patch is darker with a white border instead of yellow) and Bicolored Blackbird (lacks the yellow border).

Interesting Facts

The male Red-winged Blackbird can spend more than half his day during the breeding season defending his territory and singing to attract mates.