Agelaius phoeniceus

Description

The female red-winged blackbird looks like a sparrow, except she is larger, has a thin bill, and has dark brown streaks all along her front. The adult male red-winged blackbird is all black with red and offwhite shoulder patches. Oftentimes, the red on the shoulder is hidden, so all that shows is the offwhite stripe. The immature male looks like the female, but has red shoulder patches.

Voice

Red-winged blackbirds have two calls: a low "chek" and a high "tee err." Their song is a gurgling "konk a reeeee."

Breeding

April to July

Habitat

These are field birds and like marshes, brushy swamps, hayfields, ditches, and pastures.

Diet

Red-winged blackbirds eat insects, seeds, and grain.

Range

You can find red-winged blackbirds in Canada and the northernmost United States (including VT and NH) during the summer. They live year-round in the rest of the United States and parts of Mexico.

Other Useful Information

Red-winged blackbirds are extremely social birds and form large flocks. If you watch them, you can see the flock lift up and travel to a new area like one huge cloud.

Similar Species

The male red-winged blackbird stands out from all other blackbirds by his shoulder patch. See "Description" for ways in which the female red-winged blackbird differs from sparrows.