Spectacular colors, antics and huge flocks call attention to the ... Red-winged BLACKBIRD

By Marilyn Williams

Ohio certified volunteer

The spectacular colors and displays of the male red-winged blackbird announce the return of early spring.

The male red-winged blackbird (Agelaius pheniceus) is an early arrival to Northeast Ohio after a short migration from his southern wintering grounds.

Male red-winged blackbirds are glossy black with brilliant red and yellow shoulder patches which they can puff out or conceal.

They are 6.7–9.1 inches long, with a slender, conical bill and medium-length tail.

Perched atop fences, wires and the tops of shrubs, they announce their presence by singing out a loud konk-la-ree or sharp chuk while displaying their red and yellow epaulets, eager to stake out and defend their territories and find new mates.

Females arrive after the males and look very different. They are brownish-gray and heavily streaked, blending in well with their environment and are often mistaken for large sparrows.

The female red-winged blackbird is not only attracted to a particular male, but also to his particular territory.

Studies have shown that the health of the offspring is not only affected by its parents’ genes, but also the quality of the habitat in which they are raised.

Red-winged blackbirds favor areas such as marshes and wetlands, but also are found along soggy roadsides; open, shrubby fields; meadows; and pastures.

Breeding season is spring through summer.

Male red-winged blackbirds are very territorial, fiercely defending against predators and intruders, including other males, larger birds and animals, and even humans.

Red-winged blackbirds are polygamous, one male mating with one to 15 females, depending on the size and quality of his territory.

Their remarkable nests are built mainly by the female, low to the ground or just above the water surface. They are made from stringy plant material, woven around several vertical plant stems, with a cup made from mud and vegetation and lined with fine grasses.

A clutch consists of tow to four eggs, pale blue-green to gray with black or brown markings. Incubation is 11 to 13 days and the nestling period is 11 to 14 days.

The male does help with the feeding of the young, although it is the female that does most of the work. They raise up to three broods in one season.

Red-winged blackbirds are omnivores, eating mainly high-protein insects during the summer, and seeds, including grains, in the winter months.

Red-winged blackbirds are very social during the winter, roosting and foraging in large flocks, which include mixed species of blackbirds. These flocks may number in the thousands and can be found in crop fields, feedlots and pastures.

Red-winged blackbirds are perhaps one of the most abundant birds found across North America.

Their bright colors, loud song and brave antics make them a bird to look for and enjoy.

To learn more about this bird and browse photos, visit go.osu.edu/redwing.