Rusty Blackbird

Description:

The breeding plumage male is a solid black glistening bird with a bright yellow eye. The female in the second picture also has a bright yellow eye, but is more brownish in coloration.

Habitat:

Wet woods at Great Meadows NWR.

Notes:

Rusty Blackbird is one of North America’s most rapidly declining species. The population has plunged an estimated 85-99 percent over the past forty years and scientists are completely puzzled as to what is the cause. They are relatively uncommon denizens of wooded swamps, breeding in the boreal forest and wintering in the eastern U.S. In winter, they travel in small flocks and are identified by their distinctive rusty featheredges and pallid yellow eyes. (Cornell)