Scarlet-headed blackbird facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Scarlet-headed blackbird
in the Pantanal, Brazil
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Icteridae
Genus:	Amblyramphus Leach, 1814
Species:	A. holosericeus
Binomial name
Amblyramphus holosericeus (Scopoli, 1786)
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The scarlet-headed blackbird (Amblyramphus holosericeus) is a special bird. It belongs to a family called icterids. You can find these birds living in the South American wetlands. Wetlands are areas like swamps or marshes that are always wet.

About the Scarlet-Headed Blackbird

This bird is about 24 cm long, which is about the length of a ruler. It has a very unique beak! Its bill is long, thin, and super sharp. It even looks like it points a little bit upwards.

Adult scarlet-headed blackbirds, both males and females, look just like their name suggests. They have bright scarlet (a deep red) heads. But young birds are different. When they are born, they are completely black. As they grow, orange-red feathers start to appear. These first show up on their chest and throat. Later, the bright color spreads to their neck, head, and even their upper legs.

What Does It Sound Like?

The scarlet-headed blackbird has a beautiful song. It's described as loud, clear, and very musical. People say it sounds like a ringing "cleer-cleer-clur, clulululu." Its regular calls are simpler, but they still have that same clear, ringing sound.

Where Do They Live?

Scarlet-headed blackbirds usually live in pairs. They like to make their homes in big reed beds. These are areas with lots of tall, grassy plants called reeds. You can find them in countries like Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and southern Brazil. There's also a small group of them living in Bolivia. This group lives in mountains at about 600 meters above sea level.

These birds often sit right on top of the reed stems. This makes them easy to spot. However, they are not very common birds, especially away from the coast.

What Do They Eat?

Scarlet-headed blackbirds mainly eat fruit. But they also enjoy seeds and small bugs, especially insects. They use their strong, sharp beaks like a hammer. This helps them open up tough food items to get to the tasty parts inside.

Reproduction and Family Life

Scarlet-headed blackbirds are monogamous. This means that a male and female bird stay together as a pair. Their nesting areas are often close to other blackbird pairs.

They build a nest that looks like an open cup. They place this nest in the fork of a small bush or weave it into thick plants. In this nest, the female bird usually lays two eggs.

Gallery

See also

In Spanish: Federal para niños