Red-winged Blackbird

Erika and I encountered a few female Red-winged Blackbirds at the Billy Frank Jr Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on 18 October 2021. These blackbirds are one of the most common North American birds, so we were surprised that we had not listed the species since 3 August. Their absence is a mystery. Although migratory elsewhere, this bird should be present in our area all year. Red-winged Blackbirds owe their abundance to their nesting in large freshwater and saltwater marshes and prairies as well as near lakes, ponds and roadside ditches (Yasukawa and Searcy 2020). Red-winged Blackbirds even breed in urban and suburban habitats and in fallow fields. Most Interstate highway edges provide perfect habitat and facilitate the species’ spread.