From Opus

Euphagus carolinus

Adult in "rusty" winter plumage
Photo by Marcel Gauthier
Location: Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada, Jan. 2006

[edit] Identification

21-25cm (9 ins). Medium-long tail, narrow, pointed bill, breeding male is black, with a greenish sheen, breeding female is slate-grey. Both sexes have rusty feather edging over much of their plumage in autumn and winter. Eyes pale yellow. "Rusty" refers to the brownish winter plumage, which wears off by the spring, giving the all dark plumage.

[edit] Similar Species

Less glossy than the Brewer's Blackbird.

[edit] Distribution

Canada and Alaska; also found in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and the Adirondacks in New York. Winters throughout the eastern United States south of New York. Rare vagrant in western states. Accidental vagrant to Greenland. Uncommon and declining, rare in the west.

Adult
Photo by bluedubius
Location: Kingsport, Tennessee, USA, March 2004

[edit] Taxonomy

Polytypic. Consists of two subspecies:

• E. c. carolinus (Statius Muller, 1776)
• E. c. nigrans (Burleigh & J. L. Peters, 1948)

[edit] Habitat

Bogs and swampy areas, almost always found near water. Wet woodlands.

[edit] Behaviour

Immature showing the rusty coloration
Photo by HelenB
Location: Brazos Bend SP, Texas, USA, Jan. 2009

Feeds on the ground in boggy, muddy areas. Diet includes insects and plant matter, but it sometimes attacks and eats other birds. It has been documented feeding on sparrows, robins, and snipe, among others.

[edit] Breeding

Nests in the far north of N. America. The cup shaped nest is built in a tree or dense shrub, usually over water.

[edit] Vocalisation

Song: a high squeaky kssh-dlleee. Call: a harsh chuck.

[edit] External Links