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One of the most abundant birds across North America, and one of the most boldly colored, the Red-winged Blackbird is a familiar sight atop cattails, along soggy roadsides, and on telephone wires. Glossy-black males have scarlet-and-yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how confident they feel.
- Sounds
Songs. The male Red-winged Blackbird’s conk-la-ree! is a...
- Overview
Overview - Red-winged Blackbird Identification - All About...
- Maps
Maps - Red-winged Blackbird Identification - All About Birds
- Life History
Life History - Red-winged Blackbird Identification - All...
- Tricolored Blackbird Male
Similar looking birds to Red-winged Blackbird: Tricolored...
- Sounds
Learn about the Red-winged Blackbird, a common and widespread bird with a distinctive red shoulder patch and a musical song. Find out its range, habitat, behavior, diet, nesting, and conservation status.
The red-winged blackbird is a sister species to the red-shouldered blackbird (Agelaius assimilis) that is endemic to Cuba. These two species are together sister to the tricolored blackbird ( Agelaius tricolor ) that is found on the Pacific coast region of the California and upper Baja California in Mexico.
- Wildlife
- Taxonomy
- Breeding
- Behavior
- Diet
- Conservation status
- Conservation
- Philanthropy
The liquid, burbling \\"conk-a-ree!\\" of a male Red-winged Blackbird on territory is a sure sign of spring, or at least its pending arrival. This bird's common name derives from the sleek black males' distinctive shoulder patches, or epaulets, which flash red in flight and while the bird is singing on territory.
The Red-winged Blackbird belongs to the family Icteridae, which includes the Eastern Meadowlark, Tricolored Blackbird, Rusty Blackbird, and Baltimore Oriole.
Red-winged Blackbirds are sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females have very different appearances. They also play very different roles during the breeding season. But it's usually not just one pair that occupies a territory. This species is polygynous, meaning that one male will mate with and share territory with more than one female. Red-win...
Males chase and mob intruders of all sizes not only competing males, but also Great Blue Herons, crows, and raptors, and even people wandering too close to their nests. Northern populations migrate southward in fall, flying during the day. During migration and in winter, flocks can be enormous, consisting not only of Red-winged Blackbirds but also...
Red-winged Blackbirds are omnivorous, feeding primarily on seeds and waste grain such as corn and rice; some small fruits such as blackberries; and also a wide variety of insects and spiders, particularly during the breeding season. Their diet varies depending upon habitat and opportunity, and these blackbirds eat various other small animals and ca...
The Red-winged Blackbird's scientific name Agelaius phoeniceus derives from Greek, meaning, roughly, scarlet flock member, referring to the male's wing patch and the birds' social habits. Still one of North America's most abundant birds, the Red-winged Blackbird is nonetheless a concern for conservationists. Outside breeding season, Red-winged Blac...
For decades, control measures such as poisoning, trapping, and shooting, along with habitat loss and climate change, have resulted in a substantial decline in Red-winged Blackbird populations. Important conservation laws such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), which protects rare and common species alike, are also under attack.
ABC and other organizations have joined together in a lawsuit to restore the protections afforded by the MBTA. Please donate to support our ongoing efforts. Donate to support ABC's conservation mission!
Learn about the Red-winged Blackbird, a common and widespread bird in North America. See photos, audio, videos, and statistics of this species on eBird, a global birding platform.
Learn about the Red-winged Blackbird, a common bird in North America that lives in wet habitats and has a distinctive check sound. Find out what they eat, where they live, and how they defend their territories.
