The Red-winged Blackbird, a widespread and abundant avian species across North America, is easily recognized by its striking appearance and distinctive vocalizations. Males are entirely glossy black, prominently featuring bright red shoulder patches, or epaulets, typically bordered with yellow. Females, in contrast, display a more subdued streaky brown plumage, often with a lighter breast and a whitish eyebrow, which helps them blend into their surroundings. These birds commonly inhabit marshy environments, though they can also be found in fields and along roadsides. Their calls are quite recognizable, with the male’s characteristic “conk-la-ree!” song being a familiar sound of wetlands.
The Nesting Season
The nesting season for Red-winged Blackbirds begins in early spring, around April, and can extend through summer into July or August, especially when multiple broods are raised. The precise timing of nesting is influenced by geographical location and environmental cues, such as increasing daylight hours, rising temperatures, and the availability of both food and suitable nesting sites. Male Red-winged Blackbirds typically precede the females in returning to breeding grounds to establish and defend territories. These males aggressively defend their chosen areas from rivals and intruders.
Once territories are established, a single male may attract multiple females to nest within his defended area, creating loose breeding colonies. Females arrive later, seeking the protein-rich insect diet necessary for egg production. Red-winged Blackbirds raise two to three broods within a single nesting season, constructing a new nest for each subsequent clutch. This strategy maximizes reproductive success during the favorable spring and summer conditions.
Building and Raising Young
Red-winged Blackbirds construct nests in dense vegetation, situated low to the ground or directly over water in marshy areas. Common nesting sites include cattails, rushes, sedges, or even low shrubs and small trees. The female undertakes the nest construction process, which typically takes between three to six days to complete. She weaves a sturdy, cup-shaped nest using materials like grasses, reeds, and plant fibers, incorporating mud to bind the structure and lining the interior with finer grasses.
After the nest is built, the female lays a clutch of three to five eggs, which are typically pale bluish-green with darker markings. Incubation is performed solely by the female and lasts approximately 11 to 13 days. The chicks hatch blind and naked, but develop, becoming ready to fledge, or leave the nest, within 10 to 14 days after hatching. Both parents participate in feeding the young, though the female provides the majority of the food, especially given that males may have multiple nests to attend. Even after fledging, the young birds remain in the surrounding area for two weeks, continuing to be fed by their parents.