A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Agelaius phoeniceus
The common name for the Red-winged Blackbird is taken from the mainly black adult male's distinctive red shoulder patches, or "epaulets", which are visible when the bird is flying or displaying. At rest, the male also shows a pale yellow wingbar. The female is blackish-brown and paler below. The female is smaller than the male, at 17–18 cm (6.7–7.1 in) in length and weighing 41.5 g (1.46 oz) weight, against his length of 22–24 cm (8.7–9.4 in) and weight of 64 g (2.3 oz). The smallest females may weigh as little as 29 g (1.0 oz) whereas the largest males can weigh up to 82 g (2.9 oz). Each wing can range from 8.1–14.4 cm (3.2–5.7 in), the tail measures 6.1–10.9 cm (2.4–4.3 in), the culmen measures 1.3–3.2 cm (0.51–1.3 in) and the tarsus measures 2.1 cm (0.83 in). Young birds resemble the female, but are paler below and have buff feather fringes. Both sexes have a sharply pointed bill. The tail is of medium length and is rounded. The eyes, bill, and feet are all black. The male is unmistakable except in the far west of the US, where the Tricolored Blackbird occurs. Males of that species have a darker red epaulet edged with white, not yellow. Females of Tricolored, Bicolored, Red-shouldered and Red-winged Blackbirds can be difficult to identify in areas where more than one form occurs. In flight, when the field marks are not easily seen, Red-winged can be distinguished from less closely related icterids such as Common Grackle and Brown-headed Cowbird by its different silhouette and undulating flight. The call of the Red-winged Blackbird is a throaty check and a high slurred whistle, terrr-eeee. The male's song is a scratchy oak-a-lee, accompanied by a display of his red shoulder patches. The female also sings, typically a scolding chatter chit chit chit chit chit chit cheer teer teer teerr. (information from Wikipedia)
I watched this female and a male chatter and move around a series of shrubs along this fence. I'm guessing this might have been courtship?
5 Comments
Amazing difference between male and female.
What I heard seemed mostly like chatter and not actual song. They were both similar sounding as I recall.
Awesome. I'm not sure I've ever seen a female before - or if I did, I didn't realize what I was looking at. Did the female's song sound like the male's to you?
Thank you. This is the first time I've gotten a chance to photograph a female. The pair was quite brave and allowed me to drive my car fairly close to the fence. I rolled down my window and shot through, never leaving the car.
Wow great series so beautiful :)