Some say flowers herald the coming of spring, but I feel it is the song of the Red-winged Blackbird that signifies the change of seasons. I still remember their beautiful call one very cold morning near the end of winter, before the growth of any plant or the disappearance of ice.
Indeed, if there’s one bird that exemplifies the character of the colder, temperate climate of North America, it’s the Red-winged Blackbird. Such a display of sound and sight is rare in hotter climates. There is nothing quite like the timely and obvious migrations of these beautiful blackbirds.
Male blackbirds are the first to be seen after the worst of the winter. They love the higher perches, and they sing all day. It is said that sound can sometimes form a stronger memory than sight, and I believe that. The beautiful ringing call of the proud male seems to overpower the cold, just for a second. Or is it the flame on their wing?
Blackbirds sing loudly and chase any intruder. They are defining their territories against a purple winter sky. Their calls might sound similar, but if you take an hour or two to listen, you’ll begin to hear that the calls vary in intensity duration. The other males respond to weaker calls more vigorously. Perhaps they can discern the defensive strength of their peers?
The most striking aspect of the male Red-winged Blackbird is its red patch or epaulet on its wing. It is a stunning contrast to the surrounding bluish-black feathers, and it acts as a signaling mechanism to other males that a territory has been claimed. It doesn’t always work, and a brighter, strong male may come along to take over. Every once in a while, you might come across a male with very little red… poor fellow.
Eventually, after some patience, you may see the female. And if you look on the border of a clump of reeds, you might even catch a glimpse of her small, cup-shaped nest. For some reason, they like to build nests on the edges of the reed beds. She sings too, but differently, with a more melodious trill. She prefers the lower reeds, and will often patrol around the nest once it is built.
The other day, I saw a lone nest in a very small clump of reeds away from the main pond near where I live, with a couple of blackbirds tending to it, and I wondered, could these blackbirds have wanted to escape from civilization?
As the spring progresses to summer, blackbird activity dies down a little and becomes a bit more muted. Now that territories have been claimed, it’s time to raise young. That doesn’t mean you won’t see them, but they might not be as eager to display on the very tops of reeds. Look carefully so you can see just a few more glimpses before they migrate south to avoid the bitter cold that is close ’round the corner.
Blackbirds are something special. You know, I become a little sad when I see large areas of land ravaged with roads and houses and golf courses and shopping malls – areas that once used to be homes for birds and gentle animals. But if there is still a little water left in a pond, with a few cattails growing from it, it means there is a chance to see the Red-winged Blackbirds who carry a little hope on their wing.
Hello, Jason. Great article on red-winged blackbirds. I also find these birds fascinating, and I’m lucky to have a neighborhood park in Suffolk County, Long Island where they like to hang out. Recently, I observed a red-winged blackbird in behavior similar to what Joe and others have described. I was photographing a great egret that was wading in shallow water looking for fish to snatch and gobble up. All of a sudden, a red-winged blackbird came at the egret and furiously flew over, under, and around it like an avian stunt pilot. At one point, the blackbird actually sat on the egret’s rear end before resuming its buzz. The egret, for its part, remained perfectly still, stoically looking forward as though it had more important things to focus on. I was fortunate enough to photograph this sequence, though since it took me by surprise, I wasn’t using a shutter speed quite fast enough to adequately freeze the blackbird’s motion. As imperfect as the photos are, I feel lucky to have captured the event.
Nice article about a common but fun bird to photograsph. As you point out, the females are harder to photograph, but it is worth the effort. All the hawk was trying to do was protect its nest. The RWBs are quite persistent and offer plenty of opportunities to practice stationary and inflight bird photography. I also have photographs of a Red-winged Blackbird standing on the back of a Red-tailed Hawk it was pestering. I have also seen and photographrd them dive bombing Canada Geese. They are plentiful, persistent and entertaining. Thank you for your article.
Thanks for the comment, Joe!
What lovely birds. And images …
A Z8 and a 600/f6.3? Seen a beardy man in a bright red suit somewhat out of season of late?
Thank you, Robert. Yeah, a bit of an upgrade to the trusty D500 it was. Still have my D500, which will be a handy backup camera and still hopefully get plenty of use :)
My Aussie was easily distracted by their call such that it appeared like they were calling his name, so one of his many nick-names is “breee-bo”.
Great photos and interesting article Jason! I’ve been to the eastern US and Canada in September 2023, and the Red-winged Blackbird sure was among the more striking species… unfortunately, I never got close enough for decent photos.
Thank you very much :) I noticed that they are definitely easier to photograph at the beginning when they are really into their territory grabbing!
You can see many red wing blackbirds in my portfolio. Also, on my front page, I have one dive bombing a harrier hawk.
They are common here, and were common in a few places I have lived. I spent a year in Houston from ’03-’04, lived near the Astrodome where it was very swampy still across South Loop 610. I still ran for fitness back then, and every time I rounded the corner at South Loop and Buffalo Speedway, a male red-winged would dive bomb and bean me right in the head. They are apt photography targets for those in urban and rural settings. This year I saw for the first time ever a yellow-headed blackbird (a whole flock of them) which apparently migrate with red-winged blackbirds. They were gathered in the grass in front of the high school.
my brother inlw isinto photography and trains
Well then, all aboard I guess.
Very nice! Striking birds, both the male and the female. Has the 600/6.3 replaced the 500 PF in your camera bag?
Thanks for the comment, Basil! Yeah, the 600 f/6.3 is my main lens now. I still use the 500 here and there and plan on using it for some video but the 600 can pretty much replace it in any scenario and it’s pretty much superior in any of them, except in the 3-4m range of course, which isn’t so common with the birds I’ve seen so far. hah.