Heard at nearly every New England marsh, one can’t help but notice the beautiful and seemingly never ending song of the male Red-winged Blackbird. From sunrise to sunset he’s calling to his girl. Early this spring I set out to record the sounds of the marsh for my Monarch film. The male Red-winged Blackbirds are the stars of the marsh and while capturing their vocalizations, I also was also able to capture footage of their fascinating behaviors.
Male Red-winged Blackbirds Perching on Cattails (and Eating the Seed Heads, Too)
You’ll see many more males because they perch on higher ground, at the top of the cattails, phragmites, scrubby shrubs, phone lines, and treetops. They are defending their territory through song and a showy display of red and yellow wing bars. The males too, often swoop to the edge of the pond’s shoreline and peck at the sand.
Plain Jane Female ~ What’s All the Fuss About!
The female Red-winged Blackbird, with her more subdued feathers of brown and beige, typically stays closer to the ground, building her nest and eating insects.
Female Red-winged Blackbird in the foreground with male in the background. As you can see in the photo, the female looks like a large dark sparrow.
Loblolly Cove ~ Red-winged Blackbird Superhighway
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Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
RED-WING BLACKBIRDS…LORDS OF THE CATTAIL PLANT!!!!
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So true Jonathan–a perch and chow station!
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Great shots. I love red winged blackbirds and their call. To me they are more a sign of spring than robins.
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So excited E.J because I think I got some really good audio and footage of the their singing (also battles amongst each other!).
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Great story and pix, Kim.
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Thank you semsutter, glad you enjoyed.
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Don’t you just love how they can grip the grasses and sticks – go for a free ride when wind picks up beautiful shots thanks! 🙂 Dave & Kim
Blackbird in South Korean Lanuage (검은 새 geom-eun sae)
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So true and much fun to see Dave!
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Kim, great shots. Coincidentally we were walking along Raymond St in Magnolia the other day and noticed the red-winged blackbird sitting on the cattails for the first time.
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Thanks so much Terry. I had never heard Jonathan’s expression Lords of the Cattails but so apropos!
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Beautiful post!
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Thank you jsgoebel, very much appreciated.
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Thank you Kim for the shots, fantastic
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Thank you Patti–I am sure you must see them often in your sweet boat!
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