From Opus

Sturnella militaris

Photo by Steve G.
Location: Aripo Livestock Station, Trinidad

[edit] Identification

The males are black birds (length 16 cm) with a red breast. The females and young have more brown and much less red on their breast.

[edit] Distribution

Costa Rica south to Peru and Bolivia, and east to Trinidad, the Guianas, and Brazil.

[edit] Taxonomy

This monotypic species is now placed in genus Sturnella; previously placed in Leistes. White-browed Blackbird has sometimes been considered conspecific with this species.

The name Red-breasted Blackbird has also sometimes been used (incorrectly) for Pampas Meadowlark.

[edit] Habitat

The males can be seen and heard singing on large wet fields with long grass or on cemeteries, ricefields and on the grass savannas.

[edit] Behaviour

As with many birds in this family (for instance the caciques and oropendolas) the males can have more then one female. He will sing in his territory and chase away other males. Sometimes the male will fly up singing and fall back to the ground. The females take care of the breeding in nests, that can be found on the ground. The blackbirds (outside the breeding season) fly around in larger numbers (dozens) when they go to sleep together.

A deep, grass-lined open cup shaped nest is built on the ground amongst tall grasses; often several nests will be found close together. The normal clutch is two to four reddish brown-blotched cream eggs.

It is a ground feeder and its diet includes insects and some seeds.

[edit] External Links