Bird guide · Agelaius phoeniceus
Red-winged Blackbird
What the red-winged blackbird eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Partial migrant: present all year in many areas; northern birds migrate in flocks.
- Size
- 7.9 in (20 cm)
- Eats
- seed mixes, suet, bread
- Feeds
- ground, tray/platform
- Most common
- South Dakota, Nebraska, Wisconsin
Food
What do red-winged blackbirds eat?
At feeders, red-winged blackbirds take seed mixes, suet, bread.
Forages mostly while walking on the ground, often in flocks outside the breeding season.
Feeder that suits it
A tube or hopper feeder with sunflower seed or sunflower hearts.
Range
Where do red-winged blackbirds live?
Marshes and wet fields from coast to coast. By share of all bird sightings, red-winged blackbirds are most common in South Dakota (2.9%).
States where red-winged blackbirds are most common
- South Dakota2.9%
- Nebraska2.7%
- Wisconsin2.6%
- Illinois2.6%
- Iowa2.6%
- Michigan2.5%
- North Dakota2.5%
- Colorado2.4%
- Ohio2.4%
- Minnesota2.3%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are red-winged blackbirds, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the red-winged blackbird migrate?
Partial migrant: present all year in many areas; northern birds migrate in flocks.. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in March.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are red-winged blackbirds, by month.
Identification
How to identify the red-winged blackbird
Male: Black with red shoulder patches (epaulets), usually bordered with yellow.
Female: Streaky brown with a buff eyebrow; sparrow-like but with a spikier bill.
Young birds: Like the female.
Size: 7.9 in (20 cm)
Easily confused with
- Sparrows (vs. female) – female Red-winged has a spikier bill and darker lower belly
- Tricolored Blackbird – females are hard to separate where both occur
On camera
Getting the red-winged blackbird on a feeder camera
Any seed camera feeder works. Hang it near shrubs for cover, about five feet off the ground, with the lens facing away from direct sun.
Questions
Red-winged Blackbird: questions
What do red-winged blackbirds eat?
At feeders, seed mixes, suet, bread.
Do red-winged blackbirds migrate?
Partial migrant: present all year in many areas; northern birds migrate in flocks.. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in March.
Where do red-winged blackbirds live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in South Dakota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa. They are rare or absent in Hawaii.
What does a female red-winged blackbird look like?
Streaky brown with a buff eyebrow; sparrow-like but with a spikier bill.
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