Red-winged Blackbird

Description:

The red-winged blackbird is a common bird over much of North America. The male (shown) is small black bird with red and yellow epaulets on the shoulders. The female is a dark brown with patterning on the breast, buff around the face, and a darker cap and line through the eye.

Habitat:

Typically I think of these birds staking out breeding territories in wetlands, but I've found many pairs nesting in upland agricultural hay fields and deep grass meadows.