Blackbirds Are Not Baked In A Pie
The Red-winged blackbird is common in Southern Oregon or at least they are here in our backyard. It is always fun to see them sitting on the feeder, peeking in the window with a mouth full of seeds. The males are easy to identify with their jet-black coloring except for the red and yellow marks on their shoulders. They are also one of the few birds I can identify just from hearing their songs.
Blackbirds enjoy areas that have cattails, standing water, and plenty of vegetation. If you spread some birdseed on the ground around your yard, there will be plenty of visitors. Be sure to watch for the females too. They are a little harder to spot since they look very little like the colorful males. Females have streaky brown feathers with a small red spot on the shoulder. They tend to resemble sparrows.
What Does A Blackbird Tell You?
Getting a visit from a red-wing blackbird means you have a positive change in your future. Blackbirds are bold. They aggressively go after what they need. Native Americans consider our blackbird friends to be an important spirit animals, symbolizing change and spiritual growth. For many tribes, they are a good omen and an important totem.
Cool Facts About Red-Winged Blackbirds
Red-winged blackbirds are polygynous. That means one handsome male may have up to fifteen girlfriends at the same time!
Males spend most of their time protecting their territories during the breeding season. They chase away other males, attack predators, and do their best to keep bigger animals and even humans away.
Blackbirds like to hang out in flocks. During the winter, they will huddle up in huge groups that often include other species of blackbirds and starlings. They head out in the morning to find food and then meet back up at the end of the day.
The oldest blackbird on record lived fifteen years and nine months of age.
Where Do Red-Winged Blackbirds Live?
Red-winged blackbirds live in marshes year-round in the United States. They also enjoy meadows and fields near ponds. We live in an area right next to a creek with a pond behind the house across the street. There are quite a few fields nearby too, big agricultural areas.
What Do Red-Winged Blackbirds Eat?
In the summer, the red-winged blackbirds enjoy lots of juicy insects and spiders to eat. In the winter, they search for seeds like corn and wheat. If you live near water and want to attract these beautiful birds to your yard, put out seeds and suet in the early spring and late fall. They love to eat seeds right off the ground.
How Do Red-Winged Blackbirds Communicate?
Our blackbird friends communicate with each other both vocally and visually. They have different calls to show different emotions. They will use one sound when they are alarmed, a different one to call their mate, and yet another one just to check in on each other.
How Do Red-Winged Blackbirds Breed?
They begin by building a nest between March and May. The males pick the nesting site and defend it. Once a female accepts him and the site, they build a nest by weaving together a basket made of plant materials. Then the female will lay three to five eggs. The female will sit on them for around twelve days until they hatch. The chicks can fly and are independent within two or three weeks. They reach adulthood in two or three years.
My Recommended Product
Yes, for each article I would like to recommend a product from Amazon, partially because it helps me generate a little income to help pay for this site and because I hope it will foster your interest in this subject.
If you enjoy these spunky red-winged blackbirds, I found this adorable little carved figurine you might like.
