Red-Winged Blackbird: Striking Red on the Wing Keeps Territory

My partner and I stealth-camped in our car after paddleboarding one night. As soon as we woke up at dawn, we drove to a day-use area to eat breakfast. Near Hot Sulfur Springs, Colorado, we found a nice spot away from the road on the Colorado River. As soon as we sat down, we looked across the river and spotted a red-winged blackbird.

At first, I thought we were watching a small crow until I saw a brief glimpse of red on the wing. This made me grab the camera and look closer through the lens. The closer look, coupled with the distinct song, made me realize that we had seen the red-winged blackbird.

It flew back and forth along the opposite bank of the river. Another joined it, and they called back and forth. After a while, one flew to a snag on the same bank of the Colorado River as us. With not ideal lighting, I captured a few images of the red-winged blackbird. I could see the red patch as it moved around, but I had a hard time getting it in the camera’s view.

Then, as I walked around, it flew to a nearby cedar sapling in the morning sunlight. It fiddled around on the top of the cedar, exposing the red shoulder on the wing. Below, a mix of grasses and reeds lined the river on either side.

Here are some cool facts to help you identify the Red-Winged Blackbird:

Family:

Icteridae

Red-Winged Blackbird General Characteristics:

• 13-inch wingspan
• The male is jet black with one patch of red on the wing shoulders
• The female is mottled brown with white and brown streaks on the breast
• Can eat farmed grain, but also eats farmed grain insect pests
• Nests near water, sometimes over
• Eats insects, seeds, and some spiders
• Very territorial, the red patch helps them gain territory within the blackbird community

Habitat:

• Riparian areas in general
• Marshes with nearby fields
• Like to be near cottontails, tall weeds, and reeds
• Can be near pastures

Range:

• Widespread from Canada to Central America
• East to West coasts of North America
• Northern North American Red-Winged Blackbirds migrate

Red-Winged Blackbird & The Nature Journal

I knew for this spread, I needed a photo with the famed red spot on the shoulder, so I started there. This is why I like to combine photography and sketching in my nature journal. Where one lacks, the other picks up the slack. I talk about this in the Basics of Nature Journaling.

For the sketch, I used one of the first photos of the snag to get a sense of the red-winged blackbird’s shape. Because the photo had a good view of the red spot, I wanted the perched shape to take form in the sketch.

Since I found out such cool facts about the red spot, the text took up a lot of space. I really found it fascinating that the red spot can help determine territories amongst their own species. I wanted these here for quick reference later on in my nature exploration journey. And, I tend to remember things better if I write them down. For great information, I used the National Geographic Bird Guide.