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Red-winged Blackbird

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Mitch Waite

I am just wondering if age might be the reason for the difference in the coloring of these two birds?

T Jones:

I am just wondering if age might be the reason for the difference in the coloring of these two birds?

 Read about the Red-windged Blackbird and the Tri-colored Blackbird at these links. 

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Red-winged_Blackbird_dtl.html

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/grinnell/birds107.htm

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"Watch the birdie."

T Jones:

I am just wondering if age might be the reason for the difference in the coloring of these two birds?

 

Here are the same two birds without any editing, just croping and resize to fit forum.

Oops! I forgot to post the pictures  Anyway, here they are

Today one met an untimely demise.  I read they can be carriers of the West Nile Virus, but due to the location of the bird, more than likely it tried flying through the window. This one had the brightest red that I have seen, thus far, but something was not right about taking a picture.  It was a beautiful bird. We are new at watching and feeding the local birds, so we were sad.

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Not quite Central Iowa

I am sorry about your bird loss. I know how they can become familiar if you visit them daily.

 

Ken

 

I have a question: I love to photograph my local marsh Red winged Blackbirds and wanted to know, I live in the Pacific Northwest United States; Is there a time when these birds will not be available to shoot? Do they migrate? Do they stick around? I would like to know more about their habits on staying in one area. The winters are cold here, so they might fly the coupe so to speak.

 

Thank You,

 

Ken

 

 

I was watching a red-winged blackbird run on top of some lilypads the other day.  As it ran accross one it would stop and look under another pad. I watched it run from one lily pad to another and then peak under the next for about 5 minutes.  I've never seen one do this before.  I don't know what it was looking for under a lily pad but it must have been successful!

Hi Ken,

Your best bet is to hook up with your local Audubon club. Another way is to click on my link of the county bird list, then download it. These lists detail your specific county bird species complete with an account, the season which each bird would be seen in your area, if they are common, uncommon, rare, vagrant or accidental. You can try searching the Portland Audubon club web site to see if they have a species list and places to bird in Portland links to browse or download. Click on the link for The National Audubon Society publishes the Portland Audubon IBA (Important Birding Areas) for the best places to bird, and this is helpful for beginning birders and amateur photogs.

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"Watch the birdie."

Thank You luv2bird,

 

I'll follow up on those links. I just posted what I think is a young female Red winged Blackbird in the Please help me identify this bird section. I saw her this morning, and you know, going out to the marsh each morning since spring has been an education in witnessing life go on with babies being born and growing, with the story of survival, the beauty of it all, it's just amazing. I am becoming a true nut.

Your links are most welcome. I am a real fan of the Red winged Blackbird and want to collect more information as I have a front-row seat to watch them go through the life cycle.

Ken

 

You are very welcome. I'm simply paying it forward. A few kinder souls help me. I figure even if I mistake birds all the time I still learn- right? It's just a matter or perspective. Study all the photos you can find of juvenile and adult blackbirds. Search out places where they live, breed, and nest in colonies and sit to watch them. Take a camera that has video capabilities to capture the them singing together. Replay it when you get home and listen, you'll be surprised how eerie the sounds are. My hardest lesson is learning eclipse and alternate plumages and the variances of some species where the juveniles and females are often mistaken by experts. I won't let it get me down so don't you either. I've been hitting the trails, zoos, sanctuaries, and national parks for years. Started attending birding trips, then joined Audubon, go on outings every chance I get at least weekly for the past for two years. I started birding w/o a field manual  five years ago, so I'm a novice. I grew up in WA, and remember scouting as a kid to earn a badge. I was really interested in learning about birds as a child, too bad I didn't keep it up then I could be a real bird snob, huh? LOL

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"Watch the birdie."

cwj2323:

Today one met an untimely demise.  I read they can be carriers of the West Nile Virus, but due to the location of the bird, more than likely it tried flying through the window. This one had the brightest red that I have seen, thus far, but something was not right about taking a picture.  It was a beautiful bird. We are new at watching and feeding the local birds, so we were sad.

West Nile Virus is mostly affecting the Corvidae and Thrush families in CA, but you can check the CA website that has lots of great public health information and links to outside agencies that screen for the virus in humans, birds, squirrels, horses, and domestics animals. http://www.westnile.ca.gov/

FYI, spreading feed like pieces of human food or bread, cracked corn, and seed on the ground or in your feeders will attract mostly House Sparrows, Mourning Doves, Corvids, mice, rats and and squirrels. If you want excellent bird watching opportunities, and take pride in your habitat then simply toss the bread and other feed into the gutter for the "other" birds and squirrels, then fill your feeders with black oil sunflower seeds. Periodically during migration you can buy and hang up finch socks, and attach a suet cage against a raised-barked (not flat bark trees) tree trunk for woodpeckers which is more economical than buying than whole set up. You can also try placing  feeders in prime watching locations near your windows so you can see them from inside your home during inclement weather too. Just remember to clean your feeders regularly, watch for ill or diseased birds and know how to take action when you see changes in seasons readying for new migrations of visitors. Click here for information from Cornell Lab for migration patterns that aren't listed on Whatbird, and good luck! Just my $0.02 worth which ain't much.

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"Watch the birdie."

luv2bird, I go out at least every morning to take pictures, but lately the Red winged Blackbird is gone. First they thinned at the marsh, starting about mid-June, then they moved as I noticed the were not at the marsh anymore, but by the Columbia River channel banks, then, nothing. I have not seen a Red winged Blackbird for a full week now. It is very quiet at the marsh. The cat tails are depleted and torn up. All that are left are ducks and swallows. I did not even take my camera out this morning because all is quiet where for the past few months it has been a circus of activity. It's going to be quite an education to watch the ebb and flow as the seasons change. I can understand your enthusiasm for birds. I have it too. You are way far advanced from where I am, but I plan on staying with it and becoming better informed.

 

 

I don't know if anyone here can help me with this, but for the past 3 or 4 weeks there have been no red winged blackbirds at the marsh in my area. I noticed that first, in June that they were appearing more by the Columbia River in bushes along the banks and then they were gone. I called the Audubon society and they said they had nothing specific for where they might be except one book that hinted that they might be going north. I am planning a road trip with my camera to follow if I only knew where they were being sighted right now. Has anyone here in Canada or north of where I live in Oregon, sighted any red winged blackbirds in their area?

 TIA,

 

Ken

 

You want Red-wings, then go South young man, go South.

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