Red-winged blackbirds in the northern reaches of the range are migratory, spending winters in the southern United States and Central America. The name comes from the Greek words for flocking and red. During migration, these ravenous flocks can drain feeders in a matter of hours. You cannot view this unit as you're not logged in yet. 7. Today is the first time I have seen a Redwing Blackbird at my feeder. Blackbird Murmuration. GALVESTON’S BIRDWATCHING HISTORY – ENJOY IT NOW ! Being one of the most abundantly found birds of the country, their count was estimated at 190 million in the mid-1970s, and has significantly increased in the present decade. Spread grain or seed on the ground as well, since this is where Red-winged Blackbirds prefer to feed. If the name of Starling has been given to this well-known species, with the view of assimilating it to the European bird of that name, it can only have been on account of the numbers of individuals that associate together, for in every other respect it is as distinct from the true Starlings as a Common Crow. Recent Posts. Male Red-winged Blackbird. These species include the easily identified Red-winged Blackbird, as well as the Common Grackle, Eastern Phoebe and the well-camouflaged American Woodcock. February: Non-migratory red-winged blackbirds are in the western US and Central America. True snowbirds, red-winged blackbirds travel as many as 800 miles south for the winter. 5. Although grackles, cowbirds and even the invasive starlings are lumped into the category of blackbird, it is our native red-winged blackbird that I most often see and appreciate. Red-winged blackbirds leave the nest 11 to 14 days after birth. Report Your First Red-winged Blackbird The return of the red-winged blackbird is a welcome sign spring. Red-winged Blackbird Migration has begun around these parts in Kentucky. It has just been in the last week or two that I started to notice more of them coming around and making themselves heard throug. Find out more about what this bird likes to eat and what feeder is best by using the Project FeederWatch Common Feeder Birds bird list. Redwings that breed in Canada and the northern US are in the southern US, feeding on grain, putting on fat, and starting to migrate north. Males in definitive plumages are glossy black with epaulets (upperwing lesser and median coverts) of red bordered with yellow on the wrist (bend) of wing, though males in some populations lack the yellow border. Red-winged Blackbirds are most comfortable feeding on the ground, so spreading cracked corn, millet, or even oats in your yard can attract these black beauties. Glossy-black males have scarlet-and-yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how confident they feel. Citizen scientists are invited to report first-of-year sightings. Red-winged Blackbirds may come to your yard for mixed grains and seeds, particularly during migration. They are notably bold, and several will often attack a larger bird, such as a hawk or crow, that flies over their nesting area. In the fall and winter, Red-winged Blackbirds flock with other blackbirds, grackles, starlings, and cowbirds. March: Peak male migration and … In western and Central America, populations are generally non-migratory. There could be thirty or more birds around at one time hanging out in the cattails. Blackbird migration, the avian equivalent of Cirque du Soleil, is underway in northern New York, and tickets are free. Look for them in marsh and damp fields. Migration begins in September or October, but occasionally as early as August. Among our most familiar birds, Red-wings seem to sing their nasal songs in every marsh and wet field from coast to coast. Photo: Ann Cook : This is a Limited Coverage Species Till date, the population of these birds is stable. Listen! The Red-winged Blackbird is a widely distributed, geographically variable, and sexually dimorphic blackbird.