If you’ve seen a bird, chances are good you’ve seen a Red-winged Blackbird. One of the most widespread (and—dare we say it—fashionable?) birds in North America, the passerines can be found across much of the United States and in parts of Mexico and Canada throughout the year. While their numbers are declining, Red-winged Blackbirds remain one of the most abundant birds on the continent, with recent estimates placing their population at around 150 million.
Though common, Red-wings refuse to fade into the background. They’re loud and proud when it comes to marking their territory, and they know the role their flashy plumage plays in making a statement. Between the creativity they show at nesting sites and their spirited efforts to protect their own, Red-winged Blackbirds are an ever-present source of intrigue for birders of all stripes. Here’s what to know about them.
1.) If you’re looking to spot Red-winged Blackbirds, keep an eye on the calendar. During their breeding season in spring and summer, marshlands and sloughs are a good bet. The species prefers dense stands of plants like cattails, sedges, and reeds, and is readily found around lakeshores, riverbanks, and ponds. But in late fall and winter, take to the countryside: They’re more likely to be moving by flock in an open field, potentially mixed with other blackbirds or starlings.
2.) There’s no missing a Red-winged Blackbird’s song—and for good reason. Their trademark vocalization, a loud conk-la-REE! that culminates in an intimidating trill, is often their first line of defense. Researchers have found that non-singing birds are more likely to have their territory encroached upon by rivals. Males will typically combine the song with a forward lean and tail feathers spread out.
3.) Those namesake red patches? They’re called epaulets, as in the loops of cloth you’d see on the shoulders of a uniform. Red-winged Blackbirds’ epaulets don’t exactly denote rank, but they do play a role in emphasizing status. Males will actively puff out the spots to attract a mate or defend their territory—or, conversely, hide them when they’re on someone else’s domain. For their part, females tend to prefer birds with more brilliant epaulets, which in practice means they usually mate with older males, whose feathers become brighter over time. Females, it’s worth noting, lack the male’s black plumage and red shoulders, instead sporting brown feathers and bold breast streaks that often cause them to be confused for a sparrow.
Red-wings are aggressively territorial, spending up to a quarter of the day defending their turf during breeding season.
4.) Red-wings are aggressively territorial, spending up to a quarter of the day defending their turf during breeding season. The species has even developed a reputation for divebombing people or animals who get too close for comfort — including the occasional horse! (For the record, naturalists recommend keeping well away from nesting sites to avoid an uncomfortable peck, but donning a hat or even a helmet is also advisable if you’re concerned.)
5.) Unlike most birds, Red-winged Blackbirds are polygynous, meaning males mate with more than one female. Up to 15 females have been found as part of a single harem, nesting on one male’s territory. The reason? Location, location, location — the best spots have good access to food, water, and protection from predators, and females, unlike males, don’t mind having others nearby.
6.) Most Red-wings in the United States and central America are year-round residents, but breeding populations in the northern states and Canada are migratory. Only migrating during the day, males are some of the first migrants, heading north as early as January to establish a territory. Females arrive up to a month later to assess who’s claimed the best digs.
7.) Red-winged Blackbirds are opportunistic foragers with varied diets, but they won’t eat just anything. Experiments have shown that, if a companion eats something that makes them sick, the birds avoid that food even without having tasted it themselves.
8.) That’s not their only talent, though. Red-winged Blackbirds are also polyglots, understanding the vocalizations of other birds. When researchers played a warning seet call used by Yellow Warblers to signal the parasitic Brown-headed Cowbird was in the area, Red-wings reacted and mounted their own defense. They may even have a nuanced understanding of the other birds’ sounds, because Red-wings in the study didn’t respond to other, less threatening calls.
9.) Like warblers keep an eye out for cowbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds have an archrival of their own: the Marsh Wren, which is known to puncture Red-wing eggs and kill nestlings. In response, Red-wings of both sexes are proactively aggressive against the wrens, and females will “clump” their nests to cooperatively defend their young from enemy incursions.
10.) From the heartland to the southwestern desert, Red-winged Blackbirds have long been valued in Indigenous cultures as courageous protectors and signs of an impending, abundant spring. According to some stories from central U.S. tribes, the species got its red wings through a heroic deed. Myths and Legends of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes includes a tale in which a spiteful person tries to “burn up the world,” but a blackbird shouts to raise the alarm. The person responds by lobbing a shell that cuts the bird on its wings, leaving marks of blood that remain recognizable to this day.
