Red-winged Blackbird

Overview

Red-winged Blackbird: Small blackbird with jet-black body and bright red shoulder patches edged with yellow on bottom. Runs or hops while foraging on the ground. Eats seeds, grains, berries, fruits, insects, caterpillars, spiders, snails, grubs and mollusks. Strong direct flight on rapid wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Red-winged Blackbird: Breeds from Alaska east across Canada to Newfoundland and south to northern Baja California, central Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and Florida. Spends winters regularly across the U.S. north to British Columbia, Great Lakes, and Pennsylvania. Preferred habitats include fresh and saltwater marshes, sedge meadows, alfalfa fields, and other croplands.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Red-winged Blackbird is native to North America.
During migration the Red-winged Blackbird can travel at over 30 mph.
Each pair of Red-winged Blackbirds raise 2-3 broods per season. Each time they build a new nest, which keeps the nest from becoming infected with parasites that could kill the baby birds.
A group of blackbirds has many collective nouns, including a "cloud", "cluster", and "merl" of blackbirds.

The Red-winged Blackbird is found throughout North and Central America. Breeding habitats spread from Alaska, Newfoundland and Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico and Guatemala. Some populations may also be found in El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica. Winters may be spent in Pennsylvania and British Columbia, but northern populations usually migrate south to Mexico and the southern United States. This species typically feed on seeds and insects. These birds also nest in small colonies and migrate in single-sex flocks. Nests are built in cattails, grasslands or willow bushes. The conservation rating for the Red-winged Blackbird is Least Concern.