Saturday, April 18

It is time for facts about another bird that comes to our feeders. This time I am featuring the Red-winged Blackbird.

I don’t see them during the winter, so I suspect they go south from here. These pictures are each of the male. I am not aware that I have see the female this year, but I will keep my eyes open for her. She is brown like many other females, so I may have missed her.

The rest of the information is from the internet: Red-winged Blackbirds range across much of North America, from parts of Alaska and the Northwest Territories of Canada, down through Mexico and into parts of Central America.

Though a good portion of the population remains resident year-round, throughout northern parts of their range, they are considered a harbinger of spring.

In several Ojibwa language dialects, the species is called memiskondinimaanganeshiinh, which means roughly “a bird with a very red shoulder-blade.”

There are at least 22 subspecies of Red-winged Blackbirds – most of which look virtually alike.

The Red-winged Blackbird is in the Icteridae family of birds, which also includes Brown-headed Cowbirds, Grackles, and Orioles.

While male Red-winged Blackbirds are unmistakable in the field, sometimes female or juvenile birds pose an identification puzzle. Their streaky bodies resemble some species of sparrow.

The diet of Red-winged Blackbirds varies; they will eat both insects (more often in the summer) and seeds (more often in the winter). At feeders they will dine on suet and other bird seed; one of their favorites is sunflower seeds.

Male Red-winged Blackbirds like to play the field. One male may have up to 15 different females nesting in his territory – which he fiercely defends from intruders. A Red-winged Blackbird, weighing no more than 3 ounces, will take on Sandhill Cranes, which can weigh 10 pounds or more!

The longevity record for the Red-winged Blackbird is 15 years and 9 months; this is known from bird banding efforts.

In flight, Red-winged Blackbirds may reach speeds up to 30 miles per hour!

The Red-winged Blackbird is one of the most abundant species found in North America.