Red-winged blackbirds are very common and easy to identify with the all-black coloring except for the reddish-orange wing patches. Females are rather dull in comparison with streaky brown coloring.
- Agelaius phoeniceus
- Length: 6.7-9.1 in (17-23 cm)
- Weight: 1.1-2.7 oz (32-77 g)
- Wingspan: 12.2-15.8 in (31-40 cm)
Range
Red-winged Blackbirds remain all year in the lower 48 and the Pacific Coast of British Columbia. Those that breed in Canada and some of the north of the lower 48 migrate south for the winter.
Habitat And Diet
You can often spot Red-winged Blackbirds sitting on telephone wires. They prefer wet areas such as marshes but will nest in meadows and fields. Males will fiercely defend their territories in the breeding season, even attacking people that get too close to nests.
In winter, they roost in large numbers into the millions. Red-winged blackbirds eat mainly insects in summer and then seeds in the winter.
Red-winged Blackbird Sounds:
They make a short song that sounds like ‘Okelee’ and is drawn out at the end.
Nests
Nests of Red-winged Blackbirds are built near the ground in dense vegetation. The nest will be built by building a platform out of stalks and stems of nearby plants. This will have mud and wet leaves added to form a cup and then soft dry grass for the lining.
They lay 2 – 4 eggs, and the eggs take up to 13 days to hatch and then a further two weeks before the chicks can fledge.
Attract Red-winged blackbirds
Attract them to your backyard with mixed grain and seeds spread on the ground. They will also feed on large tube feeders or platform feeders.
Fun fact:
Male Red-winged Blackbirds will breed with up to 15 females and defend their territory from other males.
