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RED WINGED BLACKBIRD FULL
RED WINGED BLACKBIRD DOWNLOAD

It was banded in New Jersey in 1967, and found alive, but injured in Michigan in 1983. The oldest recorded Red-winged Blackbird was 15 years, 9 months old.One California subspecies of the Red-winged Blackbird lacks the yellow borders to the red shoulders (epaulets) and has been dubbed the “bicolored blackbird.” Some scientists think this plumage difference may help Red-winged Blackbirds recognize each other where their range overlaps with the similar Tricolored Blackbird.Each morning the roosts spread out, traveling as far as 50 miles to feed, then re-forming at night. Winter flocks can be congregations of several million birds, including other blackbird species and starlings. In summer small numbers roost in the wetlands where the birds breed. Red-winged Blackbirds roost in flocks in all months of the year.Mud is used to shape and hold the nest together, and finishing touches of soft grass are added as a lining.

RED WINGED BLACKBIRD FULL

He chases other males out of the territory and attacks nest predators, sometimes going after much larger animals, including horses and people. What do Red-winged Blackbird nests look like Red-winged blackbirds construct cup-shaped nests, making full use of materials they gather from their marshland habitats, including reeds, mud and wet leaves.

Male Red-winged Blackbirds fiercely defend their territories during the breeding season, spending more than a quarter of daylight hours in territory defense.

But all is not as it seems: one-quarter to one-half of nestlings turn out to have been sired by someone other than the territorial male. In some populations 90 percent of territorial males have more than one female nesting on their territories.

The Red-winged Blackbird is a highly polygynous species, meaning males have many female mates – up to 15 in some cases.

This study indicated that much of the difference seen between populations is the result of different environments rather than different genetic makeups. An experiment was conducted that moved nestlings between populations and found that the chicks grew up to resemble their foster parents.

Different populations and subspecies of Red-winged Blackbirds vary markedly in size and proportions.

Red-winged blackbirds usually lives for about two years in the wild. Young are dependent on females for five weeks after they leave the nest. They can spend more than one-quarter of daylight hours defending their territory. Males guard the nest with loud calls and displays, or by chasing other male birds away. The red-winged blackbird nests in cattail reeds or bushes near water, where the female weaves a deep, basket-like nest from plant material.įemales have one to three broods per year and will lay three to five eggs with each brood, which they incubate for up to 11 days.

Pairs are not monogamous males may have up to 15 mates at one time.

RED WINGED BLACKBIRD DOWNLOAD

Download the audio file to listen.īreeding occurs from early spring through mid-summer. Your browser does not support the audio element. Males make a cheery, loud konk-la-ree or oak-la-ree during breeding season to draw attention to themselves and warn potential intruders. Males are easily identified in flight by their bright red and yellow shoulder patches. Owls, raptors and raccoons are a few of the red-winged blackbird’s predators. In winter, its diet switches to plants and seeds such as corn and wheat. This bird generally eats whatever it can find, including snails, frogs, worms, spiders and eggs, although it prefers insects such as flies, moths, dragonflies and butterflies in summer. Females are dull brown with dark streaks, and they often have a pale breast and pale eyebrow streaks. Immature males have feathers edged in orange, and may have some yellow on their shoulders.

Adult males are glossy black with red shoulder patches bordered in yellow.

Their tails are medium-length, and they have black, sharply pointed bills. Red-winged blackbirds grow to about nine inches in length with a wingspan of 12 to 16 inches.