10 Fun Facts About Red-Winged Blackbirds

People all over North America love red-winged blackbirds. Their colorful feathers and unique behaviors capture the attention of bird lovers and nature enthusiasts alike. These birds are easily identifiable, particularly male birds with red and yellow epaulets on their shoulders. But, there is more to know about them apart from their appearance.

Local red-winged blackbirds are surprisingly active in their hopping movement, and eating patterns may change depending on the season. They are also characterized as unique animals with determined territorial tendencies and dedicated parents to their offspring. Okay, let’s learn some exciting and cool facts about these amazing birds!

Unique Colors in Male and Female Blackbirds

Red-winged blackbirds are beautiful birds; however, male and female blackbirds appear quite different than each other. Despite their name, only male blackbirds are truly black. They are known to be black, with a shiny black plumage all over their body, hence easy to spot. The males also have red and yellow Bengal color patches, especially on the shoulders, and therefore appear magnificent. Male blackbirds also have bright orange or yellow beaks and eye rings, while females have duller appearances, and juveniles lack these features. This makes identifying blackbird males from the females and young ones rather easy.

On the other hand, the females look different; their appearance differs from that of the males, and their hair differs. Female blackbirds are dark brown, and juvenile blackbirds have a mottled brown appearance. The females are not as showy as the males. She also doesn’t have the pretty colors on her body near the tail. Any predators should not see the females; thus, their brown color is an added advantage for their safety. They have slightly less vivid beaks than males and don’t have the sheen of orange or yellow on their faces.

Distinctive Movement Style

It is necessary and interesting to note that RWBs do not move the same way as conventional birds do. Blackbirds have a unique way of moving; they prefer hopping over running. Instead of walking or running, they like to jump playfully. They jump from area to area by pushing with their mighty thighs. Often, they'll droop their wings and raise their tails while hopping.  Most of the time, this movement makes a-le appear as if they are enjoying themselves as they jump the grass or the ground in search of food.
This is the way their bodies are designed to move. With a wingspan of 35-38 cm and an average weight of around 100 grams, blackbirds are well-suited for quick, agile movements. Their wings are usable enough to fly and move around very quickly, hopping when necessary. As they seek food or flee from enemies, the hopping and other fast flying contribute to safety.

Seasonal Diet Changes

The red-winged blackbird feeds on seeds, fruits, insects, frogs, snakes, fish, turtles, lizards, and small rodents. As omnivores, blackbirds adapt their diet to the seasons. In spring and summer, they found insects and worms, especially in grass and on the ground, that were delicious and adequate to their needs. However, as the temperatures drop in Autumn and winter, they feed differently, for instance, the blackbirds. In spring and summer, they primarily eat earthworms and other invertebrates, while in autumn and winter, they switch to berries and fruits. They shift from one diet to another, according to what is obtainable naturally and in the different seasons.

Instead of just looking for a meal, they wash insects on the ground to remove dirt before consuming them. They even wipe insects on the ground to remove dirt before eating them. They are conscious of what they eat, and their diet fluctuations enable them to enjoy a fit body throughout the year.

Territorial Behaviors Year-Round

Red-winged blackbirds are territorial species when it comes to their nests. Blackbirds stay in pairs and defend their territory year-round, though in colder months, they allow other birds to pass through. They know where they would instead be living, and all the family will gang up to chase all the birds away from that part. During the winter, especially when it is cold, they don’t fuss with other birds flying through theirs but are fiercely territorial.

That’s great, and when spring, for instance, is in place, these birds tend to become defensive more than before. However, their territorial behavior peaks in spring, and they start nesting. They are cautious about the people they allow to encroach on their space.  Urban blackbirds tend to begin nesting earlier than their rural counterparts, possibly due to higher temperatures or more artificial light. In cities, the temperature is higher, and the birds can start to nest earlier than birds, such as blackbirds living in the countryside.

Nesting and Raising Young

When it’s time to have babies, female blackbirds are very active in construction. They build their nests with twigs, leaves, and plant material, lining the interior with mud and grass. They employ all sorts of natural things to ensure they have a perfect home, ensuring their eggs' safety. Both are strong-willed and do everything to create the most comfortable and conducive environment for the babies.

After the construction of the nest, it goes to laying down eggs by the female bird. They lay 3-5 speckled blue eggs per brood, which they incubate alone for 13-14 days. Both parents feed the chicks after hatching, which generally fledge within 14 days. When the young eggs hatched, the mom and dad blackbird used their beak to feed the young ones in turns. When the chicks are hatched from the eggs, they usually cannot fly for a while. But they mature rapidly, and it only takes two weeks before they leave the nest. However, if disturbed, chicks can leave the nest as early as nine days, though they still need a few days to develop their wings. However, these chicks can fledge at an entrancingly earlier age. Nonetheless, they rely on their parents for lessons about flying and evading predators.

Complex Mating and Reproduction Patterns

They remain one of the species with interesting and complicated mating processes. Blackbird pairs are mostly monogamous for life, with each season producing up to four broods. This means once a pair of these bird species get into reproduction, they will stay together season after season to nurture their offspring. Both partners build the nests, incubate the eggs, and continue hatching the chicks to extend their family in this married life. However, there are things within the lifespan of a pair in nesting that are not as they appear.

Surprisingly, studies reveal that as many as 17% of eggs in a blackbird nest may not genetically belong to the male.  This implies that, at times, the female may lay eggs from a male other than the one mated with her through a process you may call extra-pair copulation. Although he is the male who raises the chicks, some of them may not be his own. These birds are native to the United Kingdom, and these birds are pretty familiar with the population of breed pairs varying with season. In the UK, there are about 5 million breeding pairs of blackbirds, a number that rises to around 15 million in winter due to migratory birds from Scandinavia and Western Europe.

Life Expectancy

Like many other animals, the blackbird’s life is not easy, and not everyone gets to grow up. Only about one-third of blackbird nests successfully produce chicks. From this, many eggs do not hatch, which turns them into healthy juvenile birds. There are not so few dangers for these birds in terms of how they grow up, for example, predators or tough weather conditions. However, for those who make it past the early years of their life, death may often be a very distant event.

The average lifespan for those that survive to adulthood is 3.4 years, although the oldest recorded blackbird reached 20 years and three months! This is very impressive for a bird, and it is essential to know how endangered these species are at some point in their lives. A blackbird, if given a proper conducive environment, food, and Shelter, has the potential to live a healthy life for many years.

They Are Great Singers

Some of these birds are ugly but have beautiful and loud songs, such as the red-winged blackbirds. Most of the male birds employ their songs as a way of marketing themselves to the females and as a way of defending their area of interest. They always perform their aerial displays at treetop level or from tall stems of large plants so that sounds may travel far. 

The song combines whistles, trills, and chirps. It is their way of yelling, “This is my space, and I’m here!” The tune can vary according to whether it’s spring or summer or the bird feels like singing its head off.

They Can Fly Long Distances

The red-winged blackbird mainly breeds in North America but is migratory and can be seen migrating long distances. Trapping moves hundreds of edible natural products and travels in thousands when others search for food or flee from cold weather in the winter. 

Surprisingly, many of these species only migrate from the northern area to other warmer zones during the cold period. This assists them in getting better food and escaping from freezing conditions. They are muscular and swift fliers, mostly moving flocks that enable them to take long flights.

They Love Wetlands

Red-winged blackbirds are common inhabitants of water areas such as marshes, lakes, and ponds. They like these places because food is abundant, and there are many nesting places. These species can find plenty of insects, seeds, and other food in which wetlands are rich. 

The tall grasses and reeds also afford good opportunities for constructing their nests, making it impossible for enemies to approach them unperceived. They depend primarily on the wetlands, and many are residents of these habitats all year round.

Conclusion

These birds are not only colorful but also very interesting and colorful existence. They show us how different and unexplainable the animal world may be, from their way of walking to their manner of copulation. It feeds according to the season, is territorial, and is concerned when the young are around. They sing in wetlands, and what makes them more distinctive is their ability to cover long distances. If they are walking around or flying high in the sky, they are an extraordinary natural phenomenon – the red-winged blackbirds are unique and unforgettable!