Red-Winged Blackbird - (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Red-Winged Blackbird photo copyright by James E. Kuhn Large flocks of these resident birds are found in the Imperial Valley feeding at cattle feedyards and in many local farm fields.

They nest in drainage ditches or marshy areas where cattail reeds grow.

The similar Tri-Colored Blackbird can be found in the mountain community of Jacumba west of the Imperial Valley as you head up Interstate 8 to San Diego. My favorite summertime escape from the desert heat!
 

If you are interested in learning more about this bird online - I recommend you start with the Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD. http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/infocenter.html

They present photographs, songs, identification tips, maps, and life history information for North American birds - including the Red-Winged Blackbird and Tricolored Blackbird
OTHER OUTSIDE LINKS FOR THIS BIRD:

Focus On: - Red-winged and Tricolored Blackbirds are the subject of this page from the San Diego County Museum of Natural History's "San Diego County Bird Atlas" site.

RW Blackbird Links - Marcel Granger of Quebec, Canada, created this page of informative links for the Red-Winged Blackbird.

The following "WAV" format sound file is copyright protected by Doug Van Gausig of Sedona, Arizona, as part of the "Sounds of Nature" Web site:

Return to "IV THE BIRDS"

This site is maintained by:

Eldon R. Caldwell
Imperial Valley College
Email: eldonc@imperial.cc.ca.us