Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
Summary 7
The Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) is a passerine bird of the family Icteridae found in most of North and much of Central America. It breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Guatemala, with isolated populations in western El Salvador, northwestern Honduras, and northwestern Costa Rica. It may winter as far north as Pennsylvania and British Columbia, but northern populations are generally migratory, moving south to Mexico and the southern...
Distribution 8
The range of red-winged blackbirds extends from southern Alaska at its northern most point, to the Yucatan peninsula in the south and covers the greater part of the continent reaching from the Pacific coast of California and Canada to the eastern seaboard. Winter ranges for red-winged blackbirds vary by geographic location. Northern populations migrate south to the southern United States and Central America beginning in September or October (or occasionally as early as August). Most western and middle American populations are non-migratory.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native )
Morphology 9
Easily distinguished by their glossy black feathers and red and yellow epaulets at the shoulder, males are the more brightly colored of the two sexes. Females tend to be dusty or brownish in color with dark stripes on their undersides. Females resemble large sparrows and are often recognized by their off-white eyebrow markings. Both males and females have dark legs and claws. The beak of male red-winged blackbirds tends to be totally black, whereas the beak of female red-winged blackbirds is dark brown on top with lighter brown on the underside. Both males and females have sharply pointed beaks.
Both male and female adult red-winged blackbirds are approximately 22 cm long, weigh 41.6 to 70.5 g and have a wingspan of 30 to 37 cm. Young males and females resemble adult females in coloration. Males undergo a transitional stage in which red epaulets appear orange in color before reaching their adult coloration. Olson (1994) showed that the average basal metabolic rate for adults in his experiments was 656 cm cubed/oxygen per minute and that the rate for three-day-old birds was 296 cm cubed/oxygen per minute.
Range mass: 41.6 to 70.5 g.
Range length: 18 to 24 cm.
Average length: 22 cm.
Range wingspan: 30 to 37 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger; sexes colored or patterned differently; male more colorful
Habitat 10
Red-winged blackbirds roost and breed in a variety of habitats, but tend to prefer wetlands. They have been known to live in fresh and saltwater marshes. On drier ground, red-winged blackbirds gravitate towards open fields (often in agricultural areas) and lightly wooded deciduous forests. In winter red-winged blackbirds are most often found in open fields and croplands.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland
Aquatic Biomes: brackish water
Wetlands: marsh ; swamp
Other Habitat Features: suburban ; agricultural ; riparian ; estuarine
Migration 11
Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.
Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).
Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.
Red-winged blackbirds withdraw from the northern part of the breeding range for winter, returning usually in February-March.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Joby Joseph, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/21815205@N00/2304335335
- (c) Walter Siegmund, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Agelaius_phoeniceus_0110_taxo.jpg/460px-Agelaius_phoeniceus_0110_taxo.jpg
- (c) Alan D. Wilson, www.naturespicsonline.com, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Red_winged_blackbird_-_natures_pics.jpg/460px-Red_winged_blackbird_-_natures_pics.jpg
- (c) Wikimedia Commons, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Agelaius_phoeniceus2.jpg/460px-Agelaius_phoeniceus2.jpg
- (c) Blake Matheson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3513/3214962032_0bee22840a_o.jpg
- (c) Bob Jagendorf, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Agelaius_phoeniceus_-standing_on_wood-8.jpg/460px-Agelaius_phoeniceus_-standing_on_wood-8.jpg
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agelaius_phoeniceus
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31375167
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31375169
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31375168
- (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28943754
