Red-winged Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird Information
Length: 7 - 9.5"
Habitat: Marshes; shrubby swamps; wet roadside ditches; overgrown weedy fields and hayfields.
Diet:
During nonbreeding period: weed seeds and waste grains.
During breeding season: mostly insects, spiders, millipedes, and snails.
Also, some small fruits and berries when available.
Songs & calls of Red-winged Blackbird
Additional Information
Red-winged BlackbirdDescription, distribution, behavior, diet, reproduction, and migration. Includes photos and range map. (From Wikipedia)
Female Red-winged Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Identification Tips
- Sharply-pointed bill
- Frequents marshy habitats in summer, open habitats at other times of year
- Often flocks with other species of blackbirds
- Bright red patch on wings bordered by yellow (border missing in some races)
- Black plumage
- Immature male similar to adult male but has pale supercilium and brown edges to black feathers
- Heavily streaked underparts
- Upperparts brown and white
- Sometimes has yellow tinge to face and throat
- Females very dark in some races
- Juveniles similar to adult females
(Credit: U. S. Geological Survey)
Breeding Bird Survey Map,
2011-2015
(Image credit: USGS)
Range in New England
The Red-winged Blackbird breeds throughout New England.
This bird is found during the winter in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, as well as
far southern Vermont, far southern New Hampshire, and along the coast of Maine.
Red-winged Blackbirds are also seen during migration throughout most of New England, moving southward from Canada as well as northern New England.
Year-round Map from eBird
Year-round sightings of the Red-winged Blackbird (1900-present)
Christmas Bird Count Map
Historical CBC Map from USGS