Red-winged Blackbirds: Fierce and Flashy Territorialists of the Wetlands

The song of the male Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) signals the arrival of spring. His familiar conk-er-eee call sweetens any walk along the river trail. This handsome fellow's common name comes from the red epaulettes that males flash on their shoulder often in tandem with the conk-er-ee clarion call. Red-winged blackbirds have been claimed to be one of the North America's most abundant birds. This species' success because can be attributed to their superb adaptations including a sharp Icterid or black bird style bill. These birds are also aggressive defenders of their territories and will bomb joggers and walkers that may threaten their nests. Listeners can learn more about this common member of the black bird family on this edition of Voices of the Valley Floor-a and Fauna.

Photo: Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) Norwood, CO

Photo Credit: Eric Hynes