(Taxonomy completed. Galleried pictures expanded. References updated) |
(Picture of fledgling. References updated) |
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The [[Red-shouldered Blackbird]] from Cuba was formerly considered a subspecies of the Red-winged Blackbird. | The [[Red-shouldered Blackbird]] from Cuba was formerly considered a subspecies of the Red-winged Blackbird. | ||
====Subspecies==== | ====Subspecies==== | ||
| − | [[Image:46457ZZ4I9938.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Female<br />Photo by {{user|nitiman|nitiman}}<br /> | + | [[Image:46457ZZ4I9938.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Female<br />Photo by {{user|nitiman|nitiman}}<br />Alto, New Mexico, [[USA]]]] |
| − | + | This is a [[Dictionary_M-S#P|polytypic]] species, which consistis of about 24 subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup> | |
[[Image: Red-winged_Blackbird_(young_male).JPG|thumb|350px|right|Immature male<br />Photo by {{user|Daddylion|Daddylion}}<br/>St John's Marsh, [[Michigan]], [[USA]]]] | [[Image: Red-winged_Blackbird_(young_male).JPG|thumb|350px|right|Immature male<br />Photo by {{user|Daddylion|Daddylion}}<br/>St John's Marsh, [[Michigan]], [[USA]]]] | ||
| − | *A. p. arctolegus'': South-eastern [[Alaska]] and Yukon to north-central [[US]]; winters to south-central US | + | *''A. p. arctolegus'': South-eastern [[Alaska]] and Yukon to north-central [[US]]; winters to south-central US |
| − | *A. p. fortis'': Montana to south-eastern [[New Mexico]] (east of Rocky Mountains); winters to [[Texas]] | + | *''A. p. fortis'': Montana to south-eastern [[New Mexico]] (east of Rocky Mountains); winters to [[Texas]] |
| − | *A. p. nevadensis'': South-eastern [[British Columbia]] to [[Idaho]], south-eastern [[California]] and southern [[Nevada]]; winters to southern [[Arizona]] | + | *''A. p. nevadensis'': South-eastern [[British Columbia]] to [[Idaho]], south-eastern [[California]] and southern [[Nevada]]; winters to southern [[Arizona]] |
| − | *A. p. caurinus'': Coastal south-western British Columbia to north-western California; winters to central California | + | *''A. p. caurinus'': Coastal south-western British Columbia to north-western California; winters to central California |
| − | *A. p. aciculatus'': Mountains of south-central California (east-central Kern County) | + | *''A. p. aciculatus'': Mountains of south-central California (east-central Kern County) |
| − | *A. p. neutralis'': Coastal southern California (San Luis Obispo County) to north-western Baja | + | *''A. p. neutralis'': Coastal southern California (San Luis Obispo County) to north-western Baja |
| − | *A. p. sonoriensis'': South-eastern California to north-eastern Baja, southern [[Nevada]], central [[Arizona]] and north-western [[Mexico | + | *''A. p. sonoriensis'': South-eastern California to north-eastern Baja, southern [[Nevada]], central [[Arizona]] and north-western [[Mexico]] |
| − | + | *''A. p. nyaritensis'': Coastal plains of south-western Mexico (Nayarit) | |
| − | *A. p. nyaritensis'': Coastal plains of south-western Mexico (Nayarit) | + | *''A. p. grinnelli'': Pacific slope of western [[Guatemala]] to north-western [[Costa Rica]] (Guanacaste) |
| − | *A. p. grinnelli'': Pacific slope of western [[Guatemala]] to north-western [[Costa Rica]] (Guanacaste) | + | *''A.. p. phoeniceus'': South-eastern [[Canada]] to [[Texas]] and south-eastern US |
| − | *A. p. phoeniceus'': South-eastern [[Canada]] to [[Texas]] and south-eastern US | + | *''A. p. littoralis'': Gulf Coast of south-eastern Texas to north-western [[Florida]] |
| − | *A. p. littoralis'': Gulf Coast of south-eastern Texas to north-western [[Florida]] | + | *''A. p. mearnsi'': Extreme south-eastern [[Georgia]] and northern [[Florida]] |
| − | *A. p. mearnsi'': Extreme south-eastern [[Georgia]] and northern [[Florida]] | + | *''A. p. floridanus'': Southern Florida (Everglades to Key West) |
| − | *A. p. floridanus'': Southern Florida (Everglades to Key West) | + | *''A. p. megapotamus'': Central Texas and lower Rio Grande Valley to eastern Mexico (n Veracruz) |
| − | *A. p. megapotamus'': Central Texas and lower Rio Grande Valley to eastern Mexico (n Veracruz) | + | *''A. p. richmondi'': [[Caribbean]] slope of Mexico (southern Veracruz) to [[Belize]] and northern Guatemala |
| − | *A. p. richmondi'': [[Caribbean]] slope of Mexico (southern Veracruz) to [[Belize]] and northern Guatemala | + | *''A. p. pallidulus'': South-eastern Mexico (northern Yucatán Peninsula) |
| − | *A. p. pallidulus'': South-eastern Mexico (northern Yucatán Peninsula) | + | *''A. p. nelsoni'': South-central Mexico (Morelos and adjacent Guerrero to western Puebla and Chiapas) |
| − | *A. p. nelsoni'': South-central Mexico (Morelos and adjacent Guerrero to western Puebla and Chiapas) | + | *''A. p. matudae'': Tropical south-eastern Mexico |
| − | *A. p. matudae'': Tropical south-eastern Mexico | + | *''A. p. arthuralleni'': Northern Guatemala |
| − | *A. p. arthuralleni'': Northern Guatemala | + | *''A. p. brevirostris'': Caribbean slope of [[Honduras]] and south-eastern [[Nicaragua]] |
| − | *A. p. brevirostris'': Caribbean slope of [[Honduras]] and south-eastern [[Nicaragua]] | + | *''A. p. bryanti'': North-western [[Bahamas]] |
| − | *A. p. bryanti'': North-western [[Bahamas]] | + | *''A. p. mailliardorum'': Coastal central California |
| − | *A. p. mailliardorum'': Coastal central California | + | *''A. p. californicus'': Central Valley of California |
| − | *A. p. californicus'': Central Valley of California | + | *''A. p. gubernator'': Mexican Plateau (Durango to Zacatecas, México and Tlaxcala) |
| − | *A. p. gubernator'': Mexican Plateau (Durango to Zacatecas, México and Tlaxcala) | ||
==Habitat== | ==Habitat== | ||
| + | [[Image:40976Red-Winged Blackbird 01.jpg|thumb|350px|right|{{user|markshep|markshep}}<br />Moreno Valley, [[California]]]] | ||
Preferred habitats include fresh and saltwater marshes, rice paddies, sedge meadows, alfalfa fields, and other croplands. | Preferred habitats include fresh and saltwater marshes, rice paddies, sedge meadows, alfalfa fields, and other croplands. | ||
==Behaviour== | ==Behaviour== | ||
Can fly at speeds of up to 30 mph during migration. Males sit with tails slightly flared. | Can fly at speeds of up to 30 mph during migration. Males sit with tails slightly flared. | ||
| + | ====Diet==== | ||
| + | Their main diet consists of seeds from grasses and other herbiage. They also eat a variety of insects and invertebrates. | ||
====Breeding==== | ====Breeding==== | ||
| + | [[Image:DSC 9017.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Fledgling<br />Photo by {{user|proudpapa56|proudpapa56}}<br />Central [[Pennsylvania]], June 2017]] | ||
Although primarily a marsh bird, the Red-winged Blackbird will nest near virtually any body of water and occasionally breeds in upland pastures. Each pair raises two or three broods a season, building new nest for each clutch. Each time they build a new nest, which keeps the nest from becoming infected with parasites that could kill the baby birds. | Although primarily a marsh bird, the Red-winged Blackbird will nest near virtually any body of water and occasionally breeds in upland pastures. Each pair raises two or three broods a season, building new nest for each clutch. Each time they build a new nest, which keeps the nest from becoming infected with parasites that could kill the baby birds. | ||
After the breeding season, the birds gather with other blackbirds in flocks, sometimes numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Although blackbirds are often considered pests because they consume grain in cultivated fields, farmers benefit because the birds consume harmful insects during the nesting season. | After the breeding season, the birds gather with other blackbirds in flocks, sometimes numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Although blackbirds are often considered pests because they consume grain in cultivated fields, farmers benefit because the birds consume harmful insects during the nesting season. | ||
====Vocalisation==== | ====Vocalisation==== | ||
| − | '''Song''' | + | '''Song''': Composed of a series of introductory notes ''konk-la-ree'' or ''gurr-ga-leee'' followed by a terminal buzz or trill. <br /> |
| − | Composed of a series of introductory notes ''konk-la-ree'' or ''gurr-ga-leee'' followed by a terminal buzz or trill. | + | '''Call''': Short and relatively simple - low ''clack'', sharp nasal ''deekk'', and metallic ''tink''. |
| − | '''Call''' | ||
| − | Short and relatively simple - low ''clack'', sharp nasal ''deekk'', and metallic ''tink''. | ||
==In Culture== | ==In Culture== | ||
| Line 61: | Line 62: | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| − | #{{Ref- | + | #{{Ref-Clements6thAug16}}#Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2017) |
| + | #What Bird | ||
{{ref}} | {{ref}} | ||
==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
Revision as of 23:03, 19 June 2017
- Agelaius phoeniceus
Identification
22·7 cm (9in)
Male: A small blackbird with jet-black body and bright red shoulder patches (epaulets) edged with yellow.
Female and Juvenile: Heavily streaked brown overall, very easily mistaken for a large sparrow, but note "blackbird" bill and strong streaking along body.
Similar Species
Easily confused with the Tricolored Blackbird, which is only found in western USA, from Southern Oregon south to Baja California.
Distribution
Breeds from Alaska east across Canada to Newfoundland and south to northern Baja California, central Mexico, the Gulf coast, and Florida.
Taxonomy
The Red-shouldered Blackbird from Cuba was formerly considered a subspecies of the Red-winged Blackbird.
Subspecies
This is a polytypic species, which consistis of about 24 subspecies[1]
.JPG)
- A. p. arctolegus: South-eastern Alaska and Yukon to north-central US; winters to south-central US
- A. p. fortis: Montana to south-eastern New Mexico (east of Rocky Mountains); winters to Texas
- A. p. nevadensis: South-eastern British Columbia to Idaho, south-eastern California and southern Nevada; winters to southern Arizona
- A. p. caurinus: Coastal south-western British Columbia to north-western California; winters to central California
- A. p. aciculatus: Mountains of south-central California (east-central Kern County)
- A. p. neutralis: Coastal southern California (San Luis Obispo County) to north-western Baja
- A. p. sonoriensis: South-eastern California to north-eastern Baja, southern Nevada, central Arizona and north-western Mexico
- A. p. nyaritensis: Coastal plains of south-western Mexico (Nayarit)
- A. p. grinnelli: Pacific slope of western Guatemala to north-western Costa Rica (Guanacaste)
- A.. p. phoeniceus: South-eastern Canada to Texas and south-eastern US
- A. p. littoralis: Gulf Coast of south-eastern Texas to north-western Florida
- A. p. mearnsi: Extreme south-eastern Georgia and northern Florida
- A. p. floridanus: Southern Florida (Everglades to Key West)
- A. p. megapotamus: Central Texas and lower Rio Grande Valley to eastern Mexico (n Veracruz)
- A. p. richmondi: Caribbean slope of Mexico (southern Veracruz) to Belize and northern Guatemala
- A. p. pallidulus: South-eastern Mexico (northern Yucatán Peninsula)
- A. p. nelsoni: South-central Mexico (Morelos and adjacent Guerrero to western Puebla and Chiapas)
- A. p. matudae: Tropical south-eastern Mexico
- A. p. arthuralleni: Northern Guatemala
- A. p. brevirostris: Caribbean slope of Honduras and south-eastern Nicaragua
- A. p. bryanti: North-western Bahamas
- A. p. mailliardorum: Coastal central California
- A. p. californicus: Central Valley of California
- A. p. gubernator: Mexican Plateau (Durango to Zacatecas, México and Tlaxcala)
Habitat
Preferred habitats include fresh and saltwater marshes, rice paddies, sedge meadows, alfalfa fields, and other croplands.
Behaviour
Can fly at speeds of up to 30 mph during migration. Males sit with tails slightly flared.
Diet
Their main diet consists of seeds from grasses and other herbiage. They also eat a variety of insects and invertebrates.
Breeding
Although primarily a marsh bird, the Red-winged Blackbird will nest near virtually any body of water and occasionally breeds in upland pastures. Each pair raises two or three broods a season, building new nest for each clutch. Each time they build a new nest, which keeps the nest from becoming infected with parasites that could kill the baby birds.
After the breeding season, the birds gather with other blackbirds in flocks, sometimes numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Although blackbirds are often considered pests because they consume grain in cultivated fields, farmers benefit because the birds consume harmful insects during the nesting season.
Vocalisation
Song: Composed of a series of introductory notes konk-la-ree or gurr-ga-leee followed by a terminal buzz or trill.
Call: Short and relatively simple - low clack, sharp nasal deekk, and metallic tink.
In Culture
Sightings of this bird were reported in 1600 by English settlers.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2017)
- What Bird
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Red-winged Blackbird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Red-winged_Blackbird
External Links
