Red-winged blackbird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red-winged blackbird |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Agelaius
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| Species: |
phoeniceus
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A. p. aciculatus |
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| Range of A. phoeniceus Breeding range Wintering range Year-round range | |
| Synonyms | |
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Oriolus phoeniceus Linnaeus, 1766 |
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The red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) is a passerine bird of the family Icteridae found in most of North America and much of Central America. It breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Guatemala, with isolated populations in western El Salvador, northwestern Honduras, and northwestern Costa Rica. It may winter as far north as Pennsylvania and British Columbia, but northern populations are generally migratory, moving south to Mexico and the southern United States. Claims have been made that it is the most abundant living land bird in North America, as bird-counting censuses of wintering red-winged blackbirds sometimes show that loose flocks can number in excess of a million birds per flock and the full number of breeding pairs across North and Central America may exceed 250 million in peak years. It also ranks among the best-studied wild bird species in the world. The red-winged blackbird is sexually dimorphic; the male is all black with a red shoulder and yellow wing bar, while the female is a nondescript dark brown. Seeds and insects make up the bulk of the red-winged blackbird's diet.
Contents
Taxonomy
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The red-winged blackbird is one of 11 species in the genus Agelaius and is included in the family Icteridae, which is made up of passerine birds found in North and South America. The red-winged blackbird was originally described as Oriolus phoeniceus by Linnaeus in his 18th-century work, Systema Naturae, but was later moved with the other American blackbirds to the genus Agelaius (Vieillot, 1816). The genus name is Latin derived from Ancient Greek, agelaios, meaning "belonging to a flock". The specific epithet, phoeniceus, is from the Latin word meaning "deep red".
There are a number of subspecies, some of doubtful status, which are mostly quite similar in appearance. However, there are two isolated populations of bicolored blackbirds that are quite distinctive: A. p. californicus of California and A. p. gubernator of central Mexico. The taxonomy of these forms is little understood, and the relationships between these two populations and between them and red-winged blackbirds is still unclear. Despite the similarities in most forms of the red-winged blackbird, in the subspecies of Mexican Plateau, A. p. gubernator, the female's veining is greatly reduced and restricted to the throat; the rest of the plumage is very dark brown, and also in a different family from the European redwing and the Old World common blackbird, which are thrushes (Turdidae). In the California subspecies, A. p. californicus and A. p. mailliardorum, the veining of the female specimens also covers a smaller surface and the plumage is dark brown, although not in the gubernator grade; and also its superciliary list is absent or poorly developed. The male subspecies mailliardorum, californicus, aciculatus, neutralis, and gubernator lacks the yellow band on the wing that are present in most male members of the species. The red-shouldered blackbird (Agelaius assimilis), endemic of Cuba, was formerly considered a subspecies of red-winged blackbird, but then recognized it as a distinct species.
Listed below are the sergeant thrush subspecies and groups of subspecies recognized as of January 2014 with their respective distribution areas and the location of their wintering quarters:
- Group phoeniceus :
- A. p. arctolegus – from southeastern Alaska and Yukon to the north-central United States; migrates to the south-central United States.
- A. p. fortis – from Montana to southeastern New Mexico (east of the Rocky Mountains); migrates to Texas.
- A. p. nevadensis – from southeastern British Columbia to Idaho, southeastern California, and southern Nevada; migrates to southern Arizona.
- A. p. caurinus – from the southwest coast of British Columbia to northwest California; migrates to central California.
- A. p. aciculatus – mountains of central-southern California (central-eastern Kern County).
- A. p. neutralis – from the coast of southern California (San Luis Obispo County) to the northwest of Baja California.
- A. p. sonoriensis – from southeastern California to northeast Baja California , southern Nevada, central Arizona, and northwest Mexico.
- A. p. nyaritensis – coastal plains of southwestern Mexico (Nayarit).
- A. p. grinnelli – Pacific Slope from western Guatemala to northwest Costa Rica (Guanacaste).
- A. p. phoeniceus – from southeastern Canada to Texas and the southeastern United States.
- A. p. littoralis – Gulf Coast from Southeast Texas to Northwest Florida.
- A. p. mearnsi – extreme southeast Georgia and northern Florida.
- A. p. floridanus – South Florida (Everglades to Key West).
- A. p. megapotamus – from central Texas and the lower Rio Bravo valley to eastern Mexico (northern Veracruz).
- A. p. richmondi – Caribbean slope from Mexico (southern Veracruz) to Belize and northern Guatemala.
- A. p. pallidulus – southeast Mexico (north of the Yucatan peninsula).
- A. p. nelsoni – south-central Mexico (from Morelos and the adjacent Guerrero west of Puebla and Chiapas).
- A. p. matudae – tropical southeast Mexico.
- A. p. arthuralleni – northern Guatemala.
- A. p. brevirostris – Caribbean slope of Honduras and southeastern Nicaragua.
- A. p. bryanti – northwest Bahamas.
- Group californicus / mailliardorum :
- A. p. mailliardorum – Central California Coast.
- A. p. californicus – Central Valley of California.
- Group gubernator :
- A. p. gubernator – Mexican Plateau (Durango to Zacatecas, Mexico and Tlaxcala).
Description
The common name for the red-winged blackbird is taken from the mainly black adult male's distinctive red shoulder patches, or epaulets, which are visible when the bird is flying or displaying. At rest, the male also shows a pale yellow wingbar. The spots of males less than one year old, generally subordinate, are smaller and more orange than those of adults. The female is blackish-brown and paler below. The female is smaller than the male, at 17–18 cm (6.7–7.1 in) long and weighing 41.5 g (1.46 oz), against his length of 22–24 cm (8.7–9.4 in) and weight of 64 g (2.3 oz). The smallest females may weigh as little as 29 g (1.0 oz) whereas the largest males can weigh up to 82 g (2.9 oz). Each wing can range from 8.1–14.4 cm (3.2–5.7 in), the tail measures 6.1–10.9 cm (2.4–4.3 in), the culmen measures 1.3–3.2 cm (0.51–1.26 in) and the tarsus measures 2.1 cm (0.83 in). The upper parts of the female are brown, while the lower parts are covered by an intense white and dark veining; also presents a whitish superciliary list. Females exhibit a year or salmon pink stain on the shoulders and a clear pink color on the face and below this, while older show a stain usually more crimson on the shoulders and dark pink hue on and under the face. Observations in females in captivity indicate that small amounts of yellow pigment are present on the shoulders of these after leaving the nest, that the concentration of the pigment increases with the first winter plumage after the change of the feathers and that the passage from yellow to orange generally takes place in the second summer with the acquisition of the second winter plumage, after which no further changes in feather color occur. The colored area on the wing increases in surface with the age of the female, and varies in intensity from brown to a bright red-orange similar to that of the males in their first year.
Young birds resemble the female, but are paler below and have buff feather fringes. Both sexes have a sharply pointed bill. The tail is of medium length and is rounded. The eyes, bill, and feet are all black. Unlike most North American passerines, which develop their adult plumage in their first year of life, so that the one-year-old and the oldest individual are indistinguishable in the breeding season, the sergeant thrush does not. it acquires until after the breeding season of the year following its birth, when it is between thirteen and fifteen months of age. Young males go through a transition stage in which the wing spots have an orange coloration before acquiring the most intense tone typical of adults.
The male measures between 22 and 24 cm in length, while the female, 17 or 18 cm. Its wingspan is between 31 and 40 cm approximately. Both the peak male and the legs, the claws and the eyes are black; in the female beak is dark brown and clear in the upper half at the bottom, and the tail is medium in length and rounded. As in other species polygynous exists, the red-winged blackbird are considerable sexual dimorphism both in plumage and size, males weighing between 65 and 80g the females about 35g. Males are 50% heavier than females, 20% larger in its linear dimensions, and 20% larger compared to the length of their wings. The trend towards greater dimorphism in the size of non-monogamous ichterid species indicates that the larger size of males has evolved due to sexual selection.
The male is unmistakable except in the far west of the US, where the tricolored blackbird occurs. Males of that species have a darker red epaulet edged with white, not yellow. Females of tricolored, bicolored, red-shouldered and red-winged blackbirds can be difficult to identify in areas where more than one form occurs. In flight, when the field marks are not easily seen, red-winged can be distinguished from less closely related Icterids such as common grackle and brown-headed cowbird by its different silhouette and undulating flight.
Staining of red spots and yellow bands
Two keto-carotenoids - carotenoid with a ketone group - reds synthesized by the birds themselves - namely astaxanthin and canthaxanthin - are responsible for the bright red color of the wing spots, but two yellow dietary precursor pigments - lutein and zeaxanthin - also they are present in moderately high concentrations in red feathers. Astaxanthin is the carotenoid more abundant (35% of the total), followed by lutein (28%), canthaxanthin (23%) and zeaxanthin (12%). Such a balanced combination of dietary precursors and metabolic derivatives in colored feathers is quite unusual, not only within a species as a whole but also in individuals and particular feathers.
After removing the carotenoids in an experiment, the red feathers acquired a deep brown coloration. This is because the feather barbles of the colored spot contain melanin pigments - mainly eumelanin, which was equivalent to 83% of all melanins, but also pheomelanin at a concentration approximately equal to that of carotenoids, which seems to be a rare trait for carotenoid-based ornamental plumage. On the other hand, the feathers of the yellow stripes of the males are devoid of carotenoids —except occasionally when they appear tinged with a pink coloration derived from small amounts of said pigments— and present high concentrations of pheomelanin —82% of all melanins. Melanin concentrations in the yellow band are even higher than in the red spot.
Role of wing spots
These stains are vital in the defense of the territory. Males with larger spots are more effective at chasing away their non-territorial rivals and are more successful in contests within aviaries. A staining of the black as part of an experiment, 64% of males lost their territories, while only 8% of control subjects did. However, males whose wings had been dyed before they had mated could still attract females and successfully reproduce. In the sergeant thrush, the spots on the wings are a sign of threat among males. Therefore, the spots are likely to have evolved in response to pressures linked to intrasexual selection. Additionally, neither the size nor the coloration of the same are linked to the reproductive success of the males with those females that are not their mates, that is, those with which they eventually mate. It has been suggested that also in the case of females, the best explanation for the evolution of a variable coloration in the shoulder spots is that their intensity indicates their physical condition in aggressive encounters between them.
The fact that female red-winged blackbird does not appear to consistently use variability in the size and color of male wing spots when choosing a mate runs counter to the classic role of carotenoid pigmentation ornamental feathers, mostly used in the attraction of a couple. In turn, its use as a sign of aggressiveness and social status against rival males is not a common trait in carotenoid ornaments. On the other hand, ornaments with a preponderance of melanin do tend to have an important role as an indicator of status in avian populations, so the spots of sergeant thrushes seem to work more as melanin ornaments than as carotenoids.
Vocalizations
The calls of the red-winged blackbird are a throaty check and a high slurred whistle, terrr-eeee. The male's song, accompanied by a display of his red shoulder patches, is a scratchy oak-a-lee, except that in many western birds, including bicolored blackbirds, it is ooPREEEEEom. The female also sings, typically a scolding chatter chit chit chit chit chit chit cheer teer teer teerr.
Feather molt
The most critical period of feather molting runs from late August to early September. When viewed in flight, they have a misaligned or "moth-eaten" appearance and generally slower and more laborious travel. Their mobility is reduced due to the lack of several remiges or rectrices or these are not entirely renewed. Most of the red-winged blackbird have moved almost entirely by October. By then, some birds have not completed the molt of the feathers of the capital region and the helmsmen of the center of the tail and the internal secondary sprouts have only partially emerged from the pod. Virtually all individuals have completed their molts by mid-October.
Birds do not begin their migration to wintering quarters until the two outer primary sprouts and the two inner or central rectrices have completed at least two-thirds of their development. Therefore, there is a correlation between molting, particularly replacement of the remies and rectrices, and fall migration in red-winged blackbirds.
Succession of plumages and molts
- Juvenile plumage: in both males and females, juvenile plumage is similar in color and pattern to that of the adult female, except for the yellow coloration of the lower body and the sides of the head . The shoulder spots appear mottled and are brown and yellow or brown and beige. Other sources describe the juvenile plumage of the male as follows: above, including the sides of the head, the wings, the tail and the lesser coverts - the feathers of the "shoulders" -, dull brownish black - not seen no red at this stage—, with beige-bordered feathers, paler and narrower in primaries, rectrices, head, and bladderand deeper in the scapulars and secondaries; below, pinkish beige, ocher above chin, densely veined — except chin — with brownish black stripes; undefined ocher-beige superciliary list. The female is described as more brown above with less beige below and a closely veined chin.
- First pre-basic molt (or post-juvenile molt): Generally begins 45-60 days after individuals have left the nest. The molt begins in August and the time at which it begins varies between early and late clutches. This is a complete molt, except for the retention in some individuals of a few down feathers under the wing.
- Appearance in autumn and winter of the first basic plumage (also called the first winter plumage or immature plumage): in the male, it is black, with the feathers of the upper part bordered with brown or beige and those of the lower part bordered with beige or white. The bird then has a mottled appearance. The shoulder spot is generally orange with black speckles, especially on the yellow stripe. Some immature males have a reddish patch like adults, but with black specks on the yellow band. Others have a blackish spot on the shoulder. Other sources describe the male's first winter plumage as follows: all plumage, including wings and tail, greenish-black, much of it with beige and rust edges, paler underneath and faint or absent in primaries and rectrices; minor wing covers - "shoulders" - orpiment-dull orange, each feather with black subterminal bars or spots; medium beige, deep ocher coverts, generally mottled with black in subterminal areas, mainly in the beards of the inner part of the feathers; generally black spines.
- Females are dark above with feathers bordered with beige or rust. The lower part shows black and white streaks, but with more beige on the chest and sometimes on the flanks than in the reproductive plumage. The medium and secondary major cover feathers are noticeably bordered with beige. They generally lack the pink coloration on the chin and throat - which may be beige, yellow, or light salmon - and the crimson wing patch - which may be rust, orange, or gray - typical of second winter plumage.
- Appearance in spring and summer of the first basic plumage (also known as the first breeding plumage or sub-adult plumage): the males, which normally are not yet defending a territory, present a dull black coloration acquired by the wear of the edges of the feathers. The stain alar may be more noticeable than in the first winter plumage due to wear subterminal blacklists, which generally only remain in the form of small black spots. Mottled wing spots are characteristic of young individuals and the extent of orange is highly variable. Females, which are usually already breeding, exhibit plumage similar to the first winter plumage, but darker above due to wear on beige edges or rust on feathers. The chest is less beige, and has a black and white veining.
- Second and subsequent prebasic molts (or postnuptial molts) : the second prebasic molt takes place approximately one year after the first. Postnuptial molts constitute complete molts, except for the occasional retention of a few down feathers under the wing.
- Appearance in autumn and winter of the second and subsequent basic plumages (also called adult winter plumage or second winter plumage) : the male no longer exhibits the mottled appearance characteristic of the autumn and winter appearance of the first basic plumage. The lower part is almost immaculate and similar to that of the reproductive plumage. The head and back feathers and the secondary covers are bordered with brown and beige. The wing blot becomes bright scarlet-vermilion, while deep ocher beige coloration appears on the medium coats. Other sources describe the adult winter plumage of the male as follows: glossy greenish black; feathers of the head, back, major wing covers and tertiary more or less bordered, depending on the individual, beige and rust; below, paler or absent edges. The female's plumage is similar to the autumn and winter appearance of the first basic plumage, except that the wing spot is generally crimson and the chin and throat pink.
- Aspect in summer and spring of the second and subsequent basic plumages (or adult bridal plumage): it is acquired through the wear of the feathers. is similar to the appearance in the spring and summer of the first basic plumage, but the alar spots of both sexes have a more intense color and chin and throat of the female. The beige and brown edges of the male feathers disappear.
Despite the fact that the brown or white tips on the feathers of the males are larger just after the molt and that they wear out throughout the year, the individuals vary considerably regarding the size of these non-black tips on the feathers in spring.
Wing feathers
Complete replacement of wing feathers takes about eight weeks. However, birds in their first year of age frequently retain some of the under-wing coverts and juvenile tertiary remiges after post-juvenile molting. Of seventy immature males examined during the last week of October, it retained 70% some older lower primary blankets. In most cases where partial replacement of the cover feathers occurs, it is the proximal covers that the bird retains.
T-shirt or feathers feathers
Primary remiges are one of the first feathers to molt. The molt of these feathers proceeds regularly from the innermost primary—primary I—to the outermost—primary IX. By October 1, most birds have either acquired the three new external primaries—VII, VIII, and IX—or they are at some advanced stage of development. The average dates for completion of the development of the new primary springs are: August 15 for primary I; September 1, primary II-IV; September 15, primary V and VI; and October 1, primaries VII-IX.
The molting of the secondary rémiges begins with the most external—secondary I— and proceeds inward to secondary VI. The secondary I sheath appears around the same time that all the secondary covers have been replaced and rarely before mid-August. These feathers are not completely renewed until the beginning of October.
The molt of the tertiary remiges begins more or less at the same time as that of the secondary ones. The middle tertiary falls first, followed by the internal tertiary. Both feathers are often well developed again before the outer tertiary leaves the sheath.
Cover feathers and alula
The major primary blankets are changed along with their respective primary springs. Unlike the major primary coats, the major secondary coats molt earlier than the secondary spruces. The molting of these feathers is rapid, with several of them at the same stage of development simultaneously. The progression of the molt in these feathers is from the outside to the inside, as in the secondary remiges. Most birds has completed the change of the secondary coverts to August 15, more or less at the time is appreciable only secondary sheath rémige I.
The molting of the lesser coverts begins early, often being the first feathers to fall. The onset of molting in male juveniles is particularly noticeable because it involves the replacement of the minor covers and results in the appearance of the reddish or orange wing spot. The new wing spot contrasts sharply with the yellowish-brown juvenile plumage in this area of the wing. The move of the minor blankets has generally been completed by September 1.
Alula feathers complete their development at about the same time as the last three primary sprouts. The marginal covers on the upper or outer surface of the forearm, located below the alula, shed at approximately the same time that the primary remix VI is being replaced.
The first feathers under the wing to molt are the marginal coverts, under the forearm. The shedding of these feathers begins at about the same time that the primary remix IV falls and is followed by that of the lower middle primary and lower middle secondary coats. The progression of the molting of the lower middle secondary blankets is from the outside to the inside, while that of the lower middle primary mats seems to be irregular or almost simultaneous. The medial lower coverts molt before the primary remiges VIII and IX. The major lower primary coverts and major lower secondary coverts molt last. The progression of the molting of these last feathers is the same as in the primary and secondary sprouts, that is, from the inside out and from the outside in, respectively.
Flow and capital pens
The caudal feathers comprise the rudder or rectrix feathers and the upper and lower tail covers. The tail covers begin to shed before the rectrices. Generally, the upper tail covers begin to shed first. Certain birds lose some rectrices by the end of the third week of August. The helmsmen in the center of the queue are the last rectrices to be renovated.
Molting in the capital region involves changing the feathers of the pileus and the sides of the head. It is one of the last parts of the body to begin feather replacement, but the renewal of most of the capital feathers is complete before that of the secondary feathers, tail feathers, and under-wing feathers. The beginning of the molt in this region coincides with the beginning of the development of the primary remige V or VI. Some individuals have already started replacing the capital feathers by mid-August. The molt begins at the pileus and the last areas of the capital region to complete it are the eye strip and the cheeks (malar region).
Other pens
In some birds, the first signs of molt in the ventral feathers appear during the last days of July, when the feathers of the anterior portion of the laterals begin to fall. From there, the molt progresses backward along the sides and forward toward the throat and chin. The last ventral feathers to be replaced are those towards the center of the abdomen. The molt of the dorsal feathers begins around the first week of August. It begins at the bladder , progresses to the upper back, and then to the cervical region.
The earliest evidence of molting in the humeral plumes corresponds to the last days of July. The molt comes from the anterior region backwards. The change of the femoral feathers begins later than that of the humeral ones. However, the progression is similar. Replacement of feather feathers rarely begins before August 15. The progression is generally from the proximal end of the tibia to the tarsometatarsal region.
Distribution and habitat
The red-winged blackbird is widely spread throughout North America, except in the arid desert, high mountain ranges, and arctic or dense afforestation regions. It breeds from central-eastern Alaska and Yukon in the northwest, and Newfoundland in the northeast, to northern Costa Rica in the south, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Northern populations migrate to the southern United States, but those that breed there, in Mexico, and in Central America are sedentary. Red-winged blackbirds in the northern reaches of the range are migratory, spending winters in the southern United States and Central America. Migration begins in September or October, but occasionally as early as August. In western and Central America, populations are generally non-migratory.
The red-winged blackbird inhabits open grassy areas. It generally prefers wetlands, and inhabits both freshwater and saltwater marshes, particularly if cattail is present. It is also found in dry upland areas, where it inhabits meadows, prairies, and old fields. In a large part of its distribution area, it constitutes the most abundant passerine bird in the swamps in which it nests. It is also present in areas without much water, where it inhabits open fields – often agricultural areas – and sparse deciduous forests.
In the winter of 1975-1976, near Milan (western Tennessee), red-winged blackbirds was observed resting in a mixed roost that came to house 11 million individuals in January and early February in a plantation of 4.5 hectares of yellow pine (Pinus taeda) with little undergrowth was seen in soybean fields during the day, being that these constituted only 21% of the habitat in the area and that the other bird species present in the roost were not commonly observed in these fields; they were also common in cornfields. the presences of the bird in feedlots has increased as winter progressed, but, accounting for less than 5% of the ichterids and starlings recorded in both feedlots of cows and pigs, they were much rarer there than the Brown-headed cowbird, Common grackle and Common starling.
Images for kids
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The "perched display", with wings held away from the body, is an agonistic behavior of the red-winged blackbird.
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Nest with eggs
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The raccoon is one of the known predators of this species.
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Male red-winged blackbird mobbing an osprey
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Flock flying in the twilight
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Male perched on a log
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in McLean, Virginia, USA.
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In Sacramento County. October 2016.
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Leaving a feeder in suburban St. Louis, MO.
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A red-winged blackbird clutching a rush in Point Pelee National Park.
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See also
In Spanish: Agelaius phoeniceus para niños
