Red-winged Blackbird    Agelaius phoeniceus

Conservation Status

General Status in Canada : Secure

COSEWIC Status : Not assessed

Breeding Bird Surveys indicate North American populations have changed little between 1966 and 2007 and populations are thought to be relatively stable. Loss of wetlands across its range has likely changed its breeding distribution in some areas. However, loss of marsh habitats may be offset by the ability of the Red-winged Blackbird to adapt to breeding in roadside ditches, agricultural areas and other modified habitats. In their wintering grounds in the southern United States, the species has been aggressively managed to limit populations. An amendment to the 1918 Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act allows farmers in the United States to kill Red-winged Blackbirds that threaten crops. To date, this annual culling appears to have had little impact on their overall population.

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