Red-Winged Blackbird
The red-winged blackbird is a medium-sized song bird, with a very distinct call. Males are a sleek black color with bright red patches on the tops of their wings. These red patches are called epaulettes and are sometimes less visible while the bird is perched, when it only shows the slight yellow band found below the red epaulettes. Young males are often a dark brown color and appear as if they are molted before they mature; however, they still retain the red patch on the shoulder.
Females are less distinctive with their brown- and white-striped backs and white- and brown-striped abdomens. Their coloring often causes them to be mistaken for other species of blackbird or sometimes for sparrows.
Read MoreFemales are less distinctive with their brown- and white-striped backs and white- and brown-striped abdomens. Their coloring often causes them to be mistaken for other species of blackbird or sometimes for sparrows.