Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Icteridae
Genus: Agelaius

Audio for Species

Call
Song
Song

from Macaulay Library

Species Related Links

Additional Red-winged Blackbird Pictures

Description

Length: 6.7-9.1 in (17-23 cm) Weight: 1.1-2.7 oz (32-77 g) Wingspan: 12.2-15.7 in (31-40 cm)

A boldly colored bird; the males are a jet black and have a scarlet patch on the wings, with a gold chevron at the bottom of the patch. The upper back and sholders have dark gold markings. The female is quite striking. She has bold stiping on the breast and lower underparts, with very intraciate wing and back patterns made up of copper, brown, black and white; some females diplay a red tuff under and over the beak. The females do not call, but the males are always vocalizing, and when they do their shoulders puff up and their feathers stand on end.

Habitat, Range, and Feeding

Red-winged Blackbirds spend the breeding season in wet places like fresh or saltwater marshes and rice paddies. You can also find them breeding in slightly drier places like marsh meadows, and farm land. They are very widespread thoughout North America.

They build their nests low among vertical shoots of marsh vegetation, shrubs, or trees. Females choose the nest site with some input from the male. Typically, she puts the nest near the ground (or water surface in a marsh). It is a very complex mix of coarse, wet vegetation, decayed wood and a plaster of mud for the cup. Which is then lined with fine dried grass. The clutch size is 2 to 4 eggs, that are pale blue-green to gray with black or brown markings.

They eat mostly insects for the summer and seeds in the winter and seem to have a fondness for cattails.