Red-winged Blackbird    Agelaius phoeniceus

Migratory Status: Short-distance migrant

PIF Population Estimate: 190 000 000

Percent of western hemisphere population breeding in boreal forest: <25%

BAM Effective Detection Radius (m) : 133.68

PIF Maximum Detection Distance (m) : 200

Canadian BBS Population trend: -1.3 (-1.7 to -0.9)

Life History

The Red-winged Blackbird is perhaps the most abundant bird of North America. Flocks of Red-wings can be legendary in size, particularly on their wintering grounds in the southern United States, where some roosts may number over a million birds. Red-winged Blackbirds easily adapt to modified environments. In some areas, their large numbers may negatively affect agricultural crops and they are considered pests. The crop damage caused by this species may be exaggerated and, on balance, may be partly offset by their consumption of insect pests and weed seeds.

Adults are differently plumaged. The male is unmistakable; an all-black, medium-sized songbird with a red epaulet, or shoulder patch, that is fringed by yellow at the bottom. Females are smaller and cryptically coloured: mottled brown above, a heavily streaked breast that becomes darker towards the belly, and a noticeably lighter-coloured eyebrow stripe. The song of the male is a liquid “konk-la-reeee”, which is sung aerially and from exposed, prominent perches in its territory. Both males and females have short, simple calls, typically nasal, “checks”, “chucks” and “chonks”.

Red-winged Blackbirds breed throughout the United States, southern Canada, and north across most of the boreal forest. Despite their extensive range and impressive numbers, Red-winged Blackbird breeding habitat is quite specific: dense aquatic or upland cover that is over or near shallow, still waters. Primarily associated with large freshwater marshes, they will also nest in uplands, wet ditches, boreal wetlands, hayfields, pastureland, and urban parks.

Red-winged Blackbirds are sometimes described as “colonial” nesters. However, their often densely-packed nesting areas are probably more a result of concentrated habitat and that males have multiple mates, rather than gregarious behaviour. As many as 15 females may nest in one male’s territory, making Red-wings one of the most highly polygynous bird species. Although the male may perform a display of symbolically picking up nest material, only the female builds the nest. When it comes to feeding the young, the male is also typically absent, but this may vary by region or by the number of females nesting in his territory.

Reference(s)

Yasukawa, K., and W. A. Searcy. 1995. Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), The Birds of North America Online, . A. Poole, Ed. Ithaca: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology; Retrieved from The Birds of North America Online database: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/184