Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
Blackbird family (Icteridae)
Male is all black with a red shoulder patch bordered by yellow. Female is brown with a heavily streaked breast, well-camouflaged for nesting in grasses.
Habitat:
Wet meadows, abandoned fields.
Nesting:
Nest is a deep narrow cup of grasses, attached to tall grasses. Eggs are greenish blue with dark marks. Clutch size – 3 to 4 eggs.
Voice:
Song is a loud “ok-a-lee” or “konk-a-ree”. Calls include “check” and a high-pitched whistle.
Name Origin:
The genus name Agelaius is from the Greek for “flocking.” The species name phoeniceus is from the Latin for “red” for the red color introduced into Greece by the Phoenicians.
In the Nature Park:
Short-distance migrant, arrives in February, nests in marshy areas in the Quarry Bottom.
Photos:
Red-winged Blackbird female
Red-winged Blackbird male
