(Agelaius phoeniceus)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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NatureServe | N5 - Secure SNRB, SNRN - Unranked Breeding and Nonbreeding |
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Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Size |
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7″ to 9½″ in length 13″ wingspan |
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Voice |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Cattail marshes, wet meadows, agricultural fields. |
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Biology |
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Migration |
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Late February to mid-December |
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Nesting |
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Food |
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Distribution |
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Occurrence |
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Abundant but decreasing migrant and breeder |
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Maps |
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The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map |
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Taxonomy |
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Class | Aves (birds) | ||
Order |
Passeriformes (perching birds) | ||
Family |
Icteridae (New World blackbirds and orioles) | ||
Genus |
Agelaius (red-winged blackbirds) | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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phoeniceus Group Eastern Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus phoeniceus) Florida Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus floridanus) Giant Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus arctolegus) Gulf Coast Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus littoralis) Kern Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus aciculatus) Nevada Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus nevadensis) Northwestern Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus caurinus) Petén Itzá Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus arthuralleni) Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus brevirostris) Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus bryanti) Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus grinnelli) Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus mearnsi) Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus nelsoni) Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus neutralis) Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus nyaritensis) Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus richmondi) Rio Grande Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus megapotamus) Sonora Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus sonoriensis) Thick-billed Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus fortis)
californicus Group Central Valley Bicolored Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus californicus) Coastal Bicolored Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus mailliardorum)
gubernator Group Mexican Bicolored Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus gubernator) |
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Synonyms |
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Visitor Photos |
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Share your photo of this bird. |
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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption. |
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Dan W. Andree |
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Another sign of Springs Arrival |
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Redwing Blackbird - adult male... Near a pond in Norman Co. Mn. April 2018. |
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Gregory Gilman |
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Ramona Abrego |
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Lynn Rubey |
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Female Red-winged Blackbird in The Big Stone Wildlife Refuge perched on reeds in a marsh. |
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Female Red-winged Blackbird in the evening landing on cattails in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. |
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Male Red-winged Blackbirds in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. Perched on the top of a cattail swaying in the breeze. |
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Male Red-winged Blackbird in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in a small tree. |
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Wayne Rasmussen |
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Urban parks host a large variety of wildlife if you really spend some time observing. |
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Joy Park & Preserve in Maplewood, MN |
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Tom Baker |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Visitor Videos |
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Share your video of this bird. |
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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link. |
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Other Videos |
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Red-winged Blackbird The Music of Nature |
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About
Uploaded on Jul 12, 2010 The Music of Nature proudly presents "Red-winged Blackbird," a delicious video portrait of a male in full song. The Red-winged Blackbird is common across North America, Breeding in marshes and meadows. Excited males puff out their red epaulets (shoulder pads) as they sing. © 2010 Lang Elliott |
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Red-winged Blackbird Portrait ebirdr |
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About
Published on Jun 15, 2012 The Red-winged Blackbird is abundant throughout North America. It migrates from Canada to United States for winter. It breeds in thick vegetation of marshes, brushy swamps, sloughs dry fields; forages in hayfields, orchards, woodlands. The male is an all black bird with a bright red shoulder patch, often bordered with yellow. The female or immature males are a dark brown above and heavily streaked below. They may show a red patch on the wing or shoulder or a pink wash on throat. The song is a harbinger of spring. It's a distinctive "konk-ah-LEEEE!" and a "chack" call. |
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How Nature Works: Red-winged Blackbird Display LabofOrnithology |
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About
Uploaded on Apr 15, 2010 An up-close look at the territorial displays and Breeding behavior of the Red-winged Blackbird. Learn more about Red-winged Blackbirds on All About Birds: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/id |
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Red-winged Blackbird - HD Mini-documentary James Knott |
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About
Uploaded on Sep 10, 2010 Transcript: "The Red-Winged Blackbird is found throughout most of North and Central America. Northern populations of the species are migratory. Males and females look different. The male is mostly black with a distinct red shoulder and yellow wingbar. The female has a brown woodsy, speckled look. These Blackbirds are polygynous. A male will defend up to 10 females in its territory. These birds prefer wetlands and open grassy areas. Their nests can be found in the cattails, rushes, grasses and bushes. Each clutch will consist of around three or four eggs. The females incubate the eggs and the babies hatch within 11-12 days. Their diet consists mainly of seeds and insects." |
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Red-winged Blackbirds MObirds |
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About
Uploaded on Aug 21, 2007 http://www.mdc.mo.gov/nathis/birds/emobirds/ A stake-out requires being inconspicuous, but not so for red-winged blackbirds. Showing off and making noise is the main objective of their stake-out. Male red-winged blackbirds have already staked-out their territories in wetlands and around ponds and lakes. Their red-and-yellow shoulder patches add glints of color to the dull landscape. And male red-wings don't hesitate to show their colors. When other birds invade the red-wing's territory, he spreads his tail, droops his wings, and lets out the gurgling Song. (nat) In February and March, male red-wings come north from their southern wintering grounds and find good spots for nesting and feeding. They are probably our most numerous songbird. |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this bird. |
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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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Kelley Nelson 4/9/2023 |
Location: Duluth, MN (Clover Valley) we had all 6 arrive at our bird feeder, they weren’t here long, at for a minute and two and left…..Very exciting to see them all arrive together |
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Dan W. Andree 4/3/2021 |
a pond in Norman Co. Mn. Another sign of Springs Arrival |
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Ramona Abrego 6/1/2020 |
Location: Becker County |
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Lynn Rubey 5/17/2019 |
Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge Male Red-winged Blackbird in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in a small tree. |
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Wayne Rasmussen 5/20/2018 |
Location: Maplewood Nature Center |
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Dan W. Andree April 2018 |
Location: Near a pond in Norman Co. Mn. |
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Wayne Rasmussen 6/28/2016 |
Location: Maplewood Heights Park Urban parks host a large variety of wildlife if you really spend some time observing. |
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Wayne Rasmussen 6/9/2016 |
Location: Joy Park & Preserve in Maplewood, MN |
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David Ayer 7/11/2012 |
Location: Joseph A. Tauer Prairie SNA |
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Gregory Gilman 3/3/2011 |
Location: Rochester, MN |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Avon Hills Forest SNA, North Unit Cannon River Turtle Preserve SNA Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center Clinton Falls Dwarf Trout Lily SNA Day Park and Earley Lake Trail Felton Prairie SNA, Bicentennial Unit Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Kellogg Weaver Unit Lake Alexander Woods SNA, South Unit Mary Schmidt Crawford Woods SNA Minnesota Valley NWR, Black Dog Unit Minnesota Valley NWR, Rapids Lake Unit Mound Spring Prairie SNA, North Unit Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Touch the Sky Prairie Unit Prairie Creek WMA, Koester Prairie Unit Rieck’s Lake Park and Campground (Alma, Wisconsin) Robert Ney Memorial Park Reserve Sand Prairie Wildlife Management and Environmental Education Area Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge Verlyn Marth Memorial Prairie SNA |
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