Tricolored Blackbird males are another blackbird with red shoulder patches like the Red-winged Blackbird, but they have a white line underneath, which distinguishes them.
Females are dark gray-brown and with mottled bellies. They are darker and less streaked than female Red-winged Blackbirds.
- Agelaius tricolor
- Length: 7.1-9.4 in (18-24 cm)
- Weight: 1.4-2.6 oz (40-75 g)
- Wingspan: 10.2-13.0 in (26-33 cm)
Range
Tricolored blackbirds are natives of California, but some are also found further north in western states.
Habitat And Diet
They are now an endangered species when once their numbers were in the millions, there were only thirty-five thousand breeding adults in 1991.
Insects and seeds are the main food for Tricolored Blackbirds, and they prefer wet areas, but as this habitat has declined, they now can be found in fields.
Tricolored Blackbird Sounds:
A distinctive strange buzzing croak as a song and short high-pitched squeak calls.
Nests
Nests of Tricolored Blackbirds are made from long leaves weaved around plant stems into a cup shape. Mud is then added to hold the shape, and soft material is added.
Fun Fact:
Tricolored Blackbirds form some of the largest colonies of all birds in North America.