Saturday, April 28, 2012

Red-winged Blackbird



One of the most abundant birds across North America, and one of the most boldly colored, the Red-winged Blackbird is a familiar sight atop cattails, along soggy roadsides, and on telephone wires. Glossy-black males have scarlet-and-yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how confident they feel. Females are a subdued, streaky brown, almost like a large, dark sparrow. In the North, their early arrival and tumbling song are happy indications of the return of spring.

Even though they are supposed to be abundant in our area, I have never seen one in our yard.  I saw these while at the farm.  I had a hard time catching him in a position where I could get a good picture of his shoulder patch. I had a great time talking with friends and watching these beautiful birds.

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