Red-winged Blackbird

Common throughout the county in appropriate habitat. According to at least one source, Red-winged Blackbird is the most common bird in North America (The Birder's Handbook). May form large flocks, sometimes mixed with Brewer's Blackbird or Starlings. Distinctive loud, harsh song that carries long distances--something like conk. la-Reeee! with the end trilled. Also has a sharp call note. Tends to stay near water. Typically seen in marshy areas, near ponds or at the edges of lakes, or around farm ponds. The classic illustration shows a male perched on a cattail.

Red-winged Blackbirds in Sonoma County are generally of the bicolored form--that is they are all black with a red wing patch only. They lack the yellow band below the red patch typical of most populations, although some local birds may have a suggestion of a yellow fringe (see photos below). Males are velvety black with a dark eye and black bill and legs. As noted above, the bright red patches at the shoulders (often referred to as "epaulets") sometimes have a hint of yellow at the lower edge. Red wing patches may be concealed, but should always be visible in flight. In spring, during the breeding season, the patches may be puffed up in display. Juvenile males are a mottled, blackish brown with dull red shoulder patches. Winter birds may show slight golden fringes to body feathers (particularly on the upper back, photo below); these fringes gradually wear off. Females are a streaky brown with a distinct whitish eyebrow and may have a suggestion of pale wing bars, but will have the same silhouette as their male counterparts (especially note the sharp, conical bill). Females may be paler at the throat, sometimes with a beige or pinkish tint there. Female Red-winged Blackbird may resemble a large sparrow, but has a much sharper bill and blackbirds and sparrows behave quite differently.

Similar to Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor), but that bird has a darker red wing patch edged with white, and the red patch is frequently hidden, so Tricolored Blackbird often looks all black with a single broad white wing bar. Tricolored Blackbird is present in Sonoma County but far less common than Red-winged Blackbird. Brewer's Blackbird has a purplish-blue tinge to its feathers, no red wing patch, and a pale iris. Brewer's Blackbird will often become semi-tame, hanging around parking lots and picnic areas, while Red-winged Blackbird--although comparatively bold--is more wary, usually sticking to its preferred marshy habitats. European Starling has a rather different silhouette--it's a plumper-looking bird with a stubby tail, a yellow bill, pale legs, and a spotted look in most plumages.