Читать книгу Birds of New Hampshire & Vermont Field Guide - Stan Tekiela - Страница 24

female

male

Red-winged Blackbird

Agelaius phoeniceus

YEAR-ROUND

SUMMER

Size:	8½" (22 cm)
Male:	Jet-black bird with red and yellow shoulder patches on upper wings. Pointed black bill.
Female:	heavily streaked brown bird with a pointed brown bill and white eyebrows
Juvenile:	same as female
Nest:	cup; female builds; 2-3 broods per year
Eggs:	3-4; bluish green with brown markings
Incubation:	10-12 days; female incubates
Fledging:	11-14 days; female and male feed young
Migration:	complete, to southeastern New Hampshire, southern states, Mexico and Central America
Food:	seeds, insects; will come to seed feeders
Compare:	Slightly larger than the male Brown-headed Cowbird, but is less iridescent and lacks the Cowbird’s brown head. Differs from all other blackbirds due to the red and yellow patches on its wings (epaulets).

Stan’s Notes: One of the most widespread and numerous birds in New Hampshire and Vermont. It’s a sure sign of spring when these birds return to the marshes. Flocks with as many as 10,000 birds have been reported. Males arrive before females and defend their territories by singing from the top of surrounding vegetation. Male repeats his call from cattail tops while showing off his red and yellow wing bars (epaulets). Female chooses a mate and often nests over shallow water in thick stands of cattails. Can be aggressive when defending the nest. Feeds mostly on seeds in fall and spring, switching to insects in summer.