Red-winged Blackbird

Oddly, I usually consider sightings of Red-winged Blackbirds as a sign of spring even though all my documentation implies they're here in NJ all winter too. I'm not sure what to attribute that to:

  1. The non-breeding plumage of the males has far less distinctive red patches than in breeding season, which certainly makes them stand out less.
  2. Perhaps they retreat to wooded areas and vocalize less, making them harder to spot.
  3. NJ is towards the northern part of their winter range. Maybe the Red-winged Blackbird community does shrink in winter even though some hardier ones will winter here.
In any event, they're definitely out and about now.

April 5, 2022 at Duke Farms
Photo 186782543, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)



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