Conk-la-ree! I hear it before I see it. Looking up I spot a Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) perched in the leafless tree above me. It is intently watching me as I fill my bird feeders for the day.
It’s February 29 and this is the first red-winged blackbird I have seen this year. Although red-winged blackbirds live in parts of Wyoming all year round, they leave the area around my home in the fall. Subsequently they return sometime in late February or March. Though we expect to have additional winter weather ahead of us, their arrival is an early indicator that spring is drawing nearer. This red-wing call is a common sound that I hear throughout the spring and summer. Therefore the first song of the year is a welcoming melody.
Listen to this common call along with a few other calls at this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3QicOAiBXk
Which Red-Wings Appear First?
Red-winged blackbirds are the most common blackbirds in the United States and Canada, with around 20 recognized subspecies. Nevertheless, most of these are very similar in appearance. Northern populations migrate south in the fall, with the females leaving first. Traveling during the day red-wings flock together with other types of blackbirds, cowbirds, starlings, and grackles. Consequently, these flocks can be enormous.
In the spring male red-winged blackbirds return first. These are easy to recognize, with their glossy black bodies along with their red epauletes lined with a yellow stripe. The females, on the other hand, are streaky brown, often showing a whitish eyebrow. They somewhat resemble a large sparrow.
Seasonal Diet Needs
In the summer months red-winged blackbird mainly dine on insects, along with seeds, including corn. Sometimes those living in marshy areas may be seen searching the base of aquatic plants, looking for insects hidden among them.
When fall and winter arrive they feed on seeds from weeds such as ragweed, cocklebur, sunflower seeds, and wasted grains in farm land. red-winged blackbirds may do a double scratch while searching the ground, rapidly hopping forward then back.
Habitats Red-winged Blackbirds May Be Found In
Red-winged blackbirds roost in flocks, though they form much smaller groups during the breeding season. In the fall and winter red-winged blackbirds form large groups and move to agricultural fields, feedlots, pastures, and other grasslands. These groups include other types of blackbirds and starlings and may grow to several million birds. Each day these birds spread out, possibly traveling as far as 50 miles in search of food. As night approaches, the flock will again re-form.
When males return for the breeding season, they will stake out the best quality territory they are able to acquire. Once established, they will guard it by continuously singing while chasing intruders of all sizes away. These may include other competing males along with much larger birds such as crows, ravens, great blue herons, and raptors. Even people are vulnerable to red-winged blackbird attacks if they stray too closely to a nesting territory.
This behavior is called mobbing and is common with many bird species.
If you would like to learn more about mobbing check this link to my blog, “Mobbing: What It Is, and Why Do Mobbed Birds Put Up With It”
https://centerofthewest.org/2019/01/21/mobbing-what-it-is-why-birds-dont-defend-themselves/
Along with this there are frequent skirmishes between the males. Usually the more dominant birds are the older males, consequently they are able to claim the most desirable territories. The preferred habitats for breeding are wet places such as marshes and rice paddies. However, you can also find them in drier places such as meadows and unused farm land where the vegetation is tall enough to hide nests or in wooded areas that boarder waterways.
What are Epaulets?
Photos often show male red-winged blackbirds with showy red shoulder patches on their wings. These are called epaulets. This pose, however, is not a posture males display the majority of the time. Red-winged blackbirds will cover their epaulets, leaving only the yellow border visible unless they are sending a message to other red-wingeds. This, therefore, is an important tool of communication. Males use these red wing patches both to defend their territories and to attract mates.
Female Response to Epaulets
The male will do elaborate displays to show off for the female. He will puff up his feathers, spread his wings and tail, plus display his bright red epaulet patches. Along with this, he will also be singing his conk-la-ree song.
Experiments in which epaulets have been enhanced in color or dulled, show that females prefer the enhanced colors over the duller ones. As males become older their red becomes more brilliant and noticeable. As a result, females generally prefer older males.
These prominent bright red epaulets therefore advertise males as older, more dominant adults, thus helping them to gain a more desirable habitat than younger males.
Epaulets and Territories
Epaulets are used in flight displays. A male may raise his epaulets and spread its tail as well as slowing down its speed when above his territory. He will also often show his epaulets while perched within his territory. In both cases this alerts other birds that the territory is his.
If you observe two males perched together with one showing his epaulets, this usually indicates he is the owner of the territory. The other, therefore, is a trespasser. On the other hand, if both are displaying their epaulets, they probably are on the border of both bird’s territory.
Birds straying into another’s territory to forage tend to not challenge the owner, therefore will keep its red patches hidden. Likewise, since red-winged blackbirds tend to forage in groups, while on territory that is neutral they feed peacefully side by side. At these time the males will again hide their epaulets.
How Loyal Are Red-winged Blackbirds?
It’s the females who choose the mate. The most important attribute isn’t the male itself, rather it is the territory he has established. A preferred territory will have dense vegetation which will help hide the nests from predators.
Red-winged blackbirds engage in a mating system known as territorial polygyny. In other words, a number of females will choose one male’s desired territory, even though he has already paired up with other females.
This leads to a wide variance in the number of females per male. A male with a very desirable territory may have as many as 12 – 15 females. On the other hand, males with lesser habitats may have only one mate, while those unable to establish a territory will attract no mates.
On the other hand, the established territories are fairly small, averaging about half an acre and are used primarily for nesting. For this reason, red-winged blackbirds will frequently forage outside of their territory. This leads to even more polygyny. As a result, though females generally mate with the territory holder, they may also mate with other males. According to Cornell, one-quarter to one-half of nestlings have been sired by a male from another territory.
Nesting
Female red-winged blackbirds choose the nest site. Generally she chooses an area amongst vegetation which is low to the ground or marsh. As a result, this will help to hide the nest. In marshy areas this may be on vertical shoots of marsh vegetation, cattails, bulrushes, and similar plants.
Within dry habitats she may use willows, shrubs, or trees. In farmland she may use alfalfa, barley, and rice plants.
Males spend more than a quarter of their time making sure they are noticed, perching on high places while singing their conk-la-ree song. This sends a warning to others of their territory ownership. He will continue to fiercely fend off predators and other encroaching birds.
Females, on the other hand, stay lower, searching for food and taking care of the nest. She does the incubating, and most of the feeding, although at times the male will also help feed. In addition to the male, the females will also help fend off intruders.
During the breeding season, a female may produce two or three clutches, consisting of 2 – 4 eggs each. She will construct a new nest for each clutch.
In Closing
Not everyone welcomes Red-winged Blackbirds. Due to their fierce territorial defense, people enjoying the outdoors may experience attacks to themselves as well as their pets. They may crowd out smaller birds at backyard feeders. Along with this they do damage to crops such as corn, rice, and sunflowers.
Even so, they are popular with many bird watchers.
If you enjoy red-winged blackbirds visiting your yard the best foods to offer are black oil sunflower seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, cracked corn, millet, oats, milo, and chips of peanut hearts.
These birds will gladly feed on the ground. However, they will also eat at tube feeders, hopper type feeders, and platform feeders.
If you wish to provide exclusive feeders for smaller birds, purchase those that have a cage around them which allows smaller birds inside to feed, while preventing larger ones from reaching the seed.
Photos:
Opening photo of Red-winged Blackbird in feeding area, by author Anne Hay, Attribution-share Alike 3.0 license, https://www.flickr.com/photos/157982666@N07/
Back view of a Red-winged Blackbird calling by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren, Attribution 2.0 Generic license, https://www.flickr.com/photos/wildreturn/
Red-winged Blackbird flipping lily pads in search of insects by Andrew Reding, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license, https://www.flickr.com/photos/seaotter/
Red-winged Blackbird attacking a Red-tailed Hawk, by Tony’s Takes, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license, https://www.flickr.com/photos/tonystakes/
Epaulets not being displayed by ryanacandee, Attribution 2.0 Generic License, https://www.flickr.com/photos/31267353@N03/
Female Red-winged Blackbird, by Vkulikov, Creative Commons, Attribution-share Alike 3.0 license, https://tinyurl.com/baaux3vr
Male displaying territorial ownership and Female with insect, by JanetandPhil, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license, https://www.flickr.com/photos/dharma_for_one/
Male Red-winged Blackbird with fledgling, David Mitchell, Attribution 2.0 Generic license, this license allows me to make changes as long as they are noted. I added more contrast and slightly sharpened the photo. https://www.flickr.com/photos/firstmac/
Red-winged Blackbird nest, USFWS Mountain-prairie, Attribution 2.0 Generic, https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmtnprairie/
Cage style feeder by Cindy Mc, Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license, https://www.flickr.com/photos/kacey/
