Red-winged Blackbird

Overview

The red-winged blackbird is a passerine bird of the family Icteridae found in most of North and Central America. It is the most abundant living land bird in North America, with breeding pairs potentially exceeding 250 million in peak years.

Identification

• The adult male is all black with a distinctive red shoulder patch and a pale yellow wingbar, while the female is nondescript dark brown and smaller.
• Both sexes possess a sharply pointed bill and a medium-length rounded tail.
• The male’s song is a scratchy 'oak-a-lee' in many regions, or 'ooPREEEEEom' in the west, while the female sings a scolding chatter.
• In flight, the bird can be distinguished by its unique silhouette and undulating flight pattern.

Habitat

The species breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Guatemala, with isolated populations further south. Northern populations are migratory, moving south to Mexico and the Southern United States for the winter.

Diet

Seeds and insects make up the bulk of the red-winged blackbird's diet.

Did you know?

The bright red colour of the male's wing spots is produced by carotenoids synthesised by the bird itself, specifically astaxanthin and canthaxanthin, which is an unusual trait where dietary precursors and metabolic derivatives combine in the feathers.