Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Prepared by Paul Nicholson, London Bird Team, August 2024

It surprises some bird watchers to learn that the Eastern Meadowlark is a member of the blackbird or Icteridae family. All photos by Paul Nicholson.

The Red-winged Blackbird is a common bird across Southwestern Ontario through most of the year. This is a passerine (or perching bird) in the blackbird family Icteridae.

This bird is approximately 20 cm long. It has a short-necked, hunched profile and a slim, conical beak. The adult male in breeding plumage is mostly black but it sports red and yellow epaulets. Female Red-wings are brown, with clear streaks on the breast.

This species prefers marsh habitat. You might also find them in pastures or other grassy areas, especially if the land is adjacent to some water. You can often see and hear these birds by drainage ditches along highways or country roads.

Red-wings typically nest in marsh vegetation. It is the female that selects the final nest site and then builds the nest with plant material and mud. This species nests in loose colonies.

Interestingly, Red-winged Blackbirds are polygynous. A male will mate on his own territory with several females. Each adult female will often mate with multiple males as well.

A dark V against a yellow chin, chest, and belly are helpful identification field marks.

A Red-winged Blackbird’s diet consists mostly of insects. It will also eat grains in the late fall and winter.

This is a bird species that will defend chicks vigorously. Male and female Red-winged Blackbirds may harass, dive-bomb, and peck at other birds or even humans who they perceive as threats to their nests and young.

The classic call of the Red-winged Blackbird is a bold conk-er-chee. Even if a nature enthusiast was unable to identify this vocalization, the call would likely still seem familiar. Red-wings have an impressive variety of other vocalizations that range from check call notes to whistles.

Learn more about the Red-winged Blackbird's life history.

Red-wings breed across southern Canada as well as the U.S. and Mexico. Most fly south from our area by November each year. Before their departure, the birds will often congregate in large roosts of hundreds or thousands of birds. They return to us in February. The males arrive a few weeks in advance of the female birds.

The Eastern Meadowlark’s flight is flitty. The white feathers on each side of the bird’s tail are very apparent when the bird does fly.

Help make London friendly for the Eastern Meadowlark:

As ever, when out birding follow the bird watchers’ code of ethics. The welfare of the birds always comes first. With Eastern Meadowlarks, the allaboutbirds.org website warns that: “during nesting, the female will abandon incubation of her eggs if she is forced off the nest.”
Reduce your ecological footprint as much as possible.
Avoid use of pesticides.
Drive slowly and carefully on roads next to natural areas.
Private land owners have a very important role to play in species recovery. If you find Eastern Meadowlarks nesting on your land, you may be eligible for stewardship programs that support the protection and recovery of species at risk and their habitats. The Canada-Ontario Farm Stewardship Program is available to eligible farmers to encourage greater protection and conservation of habitat for species at risk.
Retrofit your home windows using bird-friendly materials to prevent bird-window collisions.
Submit sighting records using eBird or iNaturalist.