Red Winged Blackbird
The Red-winged Blackbird is about the size of Robin with a average length of 24 centimeters or 7-9 inches. The latin name, Agelauis phoeniceus, translates to gregarious deep red. Both the male and the female blackbird are stocky and broad shouldered with slender conical bills. The male has bright red spots on their shoulders abreast of their black feathers. Females on the other hand are brown and heavily streaked overall with a yellowish was around their bills. Male blackbirds do several things to get noticed like sitting on high perch's and chanting all day long. The male erects epaulets and hunches his shoulders forward then lowers and spreader his tail in order to attract females. Females stay lower. skulking through vegetation for food and quietly weaving together nests. Both male and female become very territorial when a predator enters it's territory opting themselves to defend. Red-winged blackbirds spend the breeding season in wet places like fresh or saltwater, marshes and rice paddles. You may also find them breeding in drier places like meadows or fields. They also nest in wooded areas along waterways. In winter, you can find them at crop fields, feedlots, and pastures. Blackbirds eat mainly insects and seeds in the summer. In fall and winter they eat weedy seeds such as ragweed and cocklebur as well as sunflowers and grains. Sometimes they feed on aquatic plants. The Red-winged Blackbird is widespread and abundant. However, populations near the Pacific and Gulf coasts of North America and those of Middle America are year-round resident. They live both Northern U.S. and Canada, ranging from Yucatan Peninsula in the south to the southern part of Alaska.
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| Red-winged Blackbird |
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