Red-winged Blackbird ~~ male vs. female

[earthmother45]

We were sitting on a bench that was tucked away at the end of the pond enjoying the solitude and taking in the nature around us. We kept hearing the beautiful trilling song of the Red-winged Blackbird when suddenly he flew down and landed just a few feet away from us.

Comments

[egg_shell]

I had read that the male red-winged black birds used their wing patches for display but had never seen it in person. That is so cool that you got a picture of it!

[earthmother45]

It seems to me that when they are trying to be big and scary looking, they puff out their wings to appear bigger and fiercer looking. That's when I can really see the red and yellow.

[thoughtsbykat]

The red-winged blackbirds are quite handsome. In Washington, there was a wildlife refuge not far from where we lived. It was a marshy area. it was nice seeing and hearing the red-winged blackbirds. Great captures!

[earthmother45]

The males are stunning when they show their red patches, but the little female really stood out in her own way, too! And their song is so happy sounding, it seems to float and dance on the air. There's no mistaking it for any other bird. Thank you!

[gordongirls]

The first time I saw female redwing blackbirds at my feeder, I had no idea what they were and Googled "huge sparrows" and learned what they really were.

Both sexes are handsome, and fearless when another bird gets too close to their nests. I have photos of male RWB's actually clinging to the back of a perplexed Great Blue Heron, who eventually just decided to leave the area.

[earthmother45]

Yeah, I came across the female by accident. I can't remember now what I was looking for. But it seems you can type in just about any description of something, no matter how vague, and google comes up with the answer.

Yes, some of those little birds are fearless and will risk life and wing against a much larger bird to protect their territory. I bet that was really something to see...the RWB and GBH!