How could a Red-winged blackbird possibly be a master of camouflage? After all, aren't they those bold, black-colored birds with the bright orange epaulettes, loudly calling and complaining from the highest snag in your local wetland, stormwater pond or very large puddle? Aren't they the ones you can hear and see from nearly a block away?
Well, yes. Those are Red-winged blackbirds. MALE Red-winged blackbirds: Male Red-winged Blackbirds do everything they can to getnoticed, sitting on high perches and belting out their conk-la-ree! song allday long.
Female Red-winged blackbirds are another story altogether. Their intricate brown, red and tan feather patterns help them to blend in among the cattail reeds.
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| female Red-winged blackbird adorned with cattail fluff |
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| female Red-winged blackbird in a nest she constructed |
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| intricate patterning helps to hide the Red-winged blackbird when she is foraging along the cattail reeds along the water's edge |
One male Red-winged blackbird will mate with all the females in his territory. Male Red-winged Blackbirds fiercely defend their territoriesduring the breeding season, spending more than a quarter of daylight hours interritory defense. He chases other males out of the territory and attacks nestpredators, sometimes going after much larger animals, including horses andpeople.
While the male makes a loud Conk-La-Lee call, the female responds with a series of chits, or chirp-like calls. To hear the calls of Red-winged blackbirds, visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology page
