BPQ Bird of the Month

Visit the breeding grounds in late July or early August and you will find the area strangely quiet. The redwings have gone to more secluded areas while they go through their moult (shedding and replacement of worn feathers). Redwings congregate (gather together in large numbers) in large flocks. In September after their moult is complete, they will reappear briefly on the breeding grounds before they begin their southward migration. They migrate in large groups, as that is a useful strategy for deflecting predators. Hawks have trouble singling out one bird to strike when faced with their fast-moving, tight migratory flocks.

The fields and marshes are quiet in winter. Then, spring and the kon-ka-reee sounds explode in our ears once again. In Montreal, the average return date of the Red-winged Blackbird is the first week of March.

Click this link to download a colouring stencil of the Red-winged Blackbird. rwbb-colouring-page

If you are wondering why the male is not doing more work for his family, that is because he is too busy guarding the nests in his territory. Yes, that is right – nests. The Red-winged Blackbird is polygynous (male mates with two or more females). A male redwing may have up to 15 different females making nests in his territory. Not for him the joys of “quality family time”. He has territory to defend! He is occupied with chasing away other male redwings and guarding his territory from predators. Because territories are often side-by-side, the breeding grounds will be resound with the songs and calls of male redwings, their red epaulets puffed and fierce looking. However, his defence may be flawed. 25 to 50% of the young in his territory are not his offspring- they have been fathered by red wing interlopers!

Red-winged Blackbirds breed in a variety of wetland and grassy areas, particularly marshes. They like to eat seeds and grain, so they may also nest near or in agricultural fields. Insects and fruits are also part of their diet. As explained in Week 1, the male establishes the territory before the female is even on the scene. When the female returns, she perches in trees near some noisy redwings. The males immediately notice her presence and perform flying and vocal courtship displays to get her attention. If a display finds favour with the female, the pair will mate.

The female builds the nest on her own. Her streaky-brown colouring helps to camouflage her activities around the nest. However, the secret is usually given away by loud Check and Tseert calls whenever anyone approaches the nest. She will lay three to five blue-green and streaky eggs and incubates them for approximately eleven days. The young stay in the nest for approximately seven to ten days, being fed mainly by the female. After the young fledge (leave the nest), they still stay near the nest for about a week. The male will help with feeding during this time.

Kon-ka-reee is the explosive song of the Red-winged Blackbird (RWBB), one of our earliest birds to arrive in spring. Males return to their breeding grounds here several weeks before the females arrive. Each male wants to stake out a territory. When you hear the Kon-ka-reee song, look around – you will most likely see a male Red-winged Blackbird leaning forward and spreading his wings to show off his red epaulets. A male Red-wing will ferociously defend its territory, often attacking much larger animals.

The name - Red-winged Blackbird – tells it all. Male redwings are medium-sized black birds with red patches or epaulets on the lesser coverts (area where the wing bends). There may also be some yellow on the median coverts. Females, however, are brown and heavily streaked. She has a white eye-stripe and the throat is a buff colour. This is an example of sexual dimorphism (physical differences between male and female of the same species).

Watch a video clip of a Red-winged Blackbird: