Island Insights | Life on Kiawah Island

June 23rd, 2009

Red-Winged Blackbirds

Nature | Birds



Red-Winged Blackbirds

Red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) are one of the more conspicuous and vocal birds in our area. Males are identified by glossy black plumage and a bright red shoulder patch with a yellow stripe. Females are less showy, with dark brown plumage and a pink-reddish tinge on chin and neck. Young are similar in appearance to females with heavy, dusky brown streaks.

Red-winged blackbirds are small birds, measuring approximately 23 cm (9 in) in length. These birds prefer habitats such as fresh and saltwater marshes and open fields. Red-winged blackbirds favor seeds, grasses, and insects as their diet. Pairs typically raise two to three broods during the breeding season, from April to June in South Carolina.

Nests are usually located in shrubby bushes near water. Two to six eggs, pale-blue and scrawled with dark brown or purple, are incubated by the female for 10-12 days. Young blackbirds fledge 11-14 days after hatching. After the breeding season, males and females gather in separate flocks, which can be quite large.

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