Red-winged Blackbird

The Red-winged Blackbird is one of the most common birds in our Park. The male is glossy black with red and yellow shoulder patches. The females are mostly streaked brown, comparable to a giant dark sparrow.

Males are very territorial, sometimes spending more than a quarter of daylights hours defending their territory. They can even chase away much larger birds and animals than themselves, including humans. During breeding season, the males can often be seen high on a perch, singing. Click on this link for a video of a Red-winged Blackbird calling!

The dense cattails in our Waterfowl Park provide the Red-winged Blackbird with great nesting spots. The female will usually put her nest near the surface of the water in dense vegetation (such as cattails). For more information on the Red-winged Blackbird, click on this link!