Bird Introduction-Red-winged Blackbird

The red-winged blackbird exhibits sexual dimorphism; males have an all-black plumage with a red shoulder and yellow wing bar, while females have a nondescript dark brown coloration. The red-winged blackbird primarily feeds on seeds and insects.

Scientific Name: Agelaius phoeniceus

Lifespan: 2 years

Size: 6.7 to 9.1 in

Weight: 1.1-2.7 oz

Wingspan: 12-16 in

The red-winged blackbird is widely distributed throughout North America, except in arid deserts, high mountain ranges, and dense forests. It breeds across a vast range, from central-eastern Alaska and Yukon in the northwest to Newfoundland in the northeast, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific, including northern Costa Rica in the south.

The red-winged blackbird typically inhabits open grassy areas, with a preference for wetlands, both freshwater and saltwater marshes, especially those with cattail vegetation. It can also be found in dry upland areas, such as meadows, prairies, and old fields.

Red-winged blackbirds have a varied diet that includes seeds, insects, and even suet from bird feeders. If you live near a water source and wish to attract red-winged blackbirds, offering seeds and suet in early spring and late fall can be effective.

Red-winged blackbirds are known to nest in loose colonies. Their nests are typically constructed in cattails, rushes, grasses, sedges, or alder or willow bushes. The female is responsible for building the nest, which takes three to six days to complete. The nest is a basket made of grasses, sedges, and mosses, lined with mud and attached to surrounding grasses or branches. It is usually located between 7.6 cm (3.0 in) to 4.3 m (14 ft) above water level.

A typical clutch of red-winged blackbirds consists of three or four, rarely five, eggs. These eggs are oval-shaped, smooth, and slightly glossy, measuring 0.976 in × 0.691 in. They are pale bluish-green in color, marked with brown, purple, and/or black, with most markings around the larger end of the egg. The female alone incubates the eggs, which hatch in 11 to 12 days.

Red-winged blackbird chicks are born blind and naked, but they are ready to leave the nest 11 to 14 days after hatching.

To attract red-winged blackbirds and provide them with a variety of seeds, consider using the Smart Bird Feeder. Its advanced design ensures easy feeding while creating an inviting environment for these striking birds in your backyard.