10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2012

Red-winged Blackbird ( Agelaius phoeniceus ) Male (click on photos for full sized images) This time of year, Red-winged Blackbirds are gathering on nesting grounds in wetlands but also in uplands and agricultural habitats. Right now though, you would most probably see flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds preparing to mate and nest.

Blackbirds 173

Blackbirds United States Killing Wildlife 173

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 23, 2012

You may already know about this, but I was not aware that a pure white Blackbird (the thrush, not the icterid) can be found at Rufford Abbey Country Park in Nottinghamshire, UK. In fact, this leucistic lovely ( check out the pic ) has resided at the park for the last four years. Thanks to reader Sher Buckner for the tip.

Blackbirds 157

Blackbirds 157

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 27, 2024

As a small child I was fascinated by animals, but it was when a pair of Blackbirds nested close to the house that I really became interested in birds. I wanted to learn more about them, so my parents gave me the five shillings I needed to buy my first bird book: The Observer’s Book of Birds.

Blackbirds 234

Blackbirds Animal Birds 234

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2012

Wallace Stevens’ “ Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird ” is a marvel of modernist poetry. It is only 246 words long, divided into thirteen sections, each labeled with the corresponding Roman numeral, and a surface reading will show that it is about, not surprisingly, thirteen ways of looking at a blackbird.

Blackbirds 178

Blackbirds 2007 Experiments Experience 178

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2024

We had seen an interesting selection of birds, including Streaked Laughing Thrushes, Grey-winged Blackbirds, Rufous-cheeked Scimitar Babblers and a Scaly-bellied Woodpecker, but nothing unexpected. Some years ago I was birding in the hills outside Ranikhet, in Uttarakhand, in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Blackbirds 209

Blackbirds Woodpeckers Birds 209

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2013

For a birder, a sighting of a Tricolored Blackbird is a treat. Add in habitat loss, and the population of Tricolored Blackbirds has plunged enough to necessitate listing it as a Bird of Conservation Concern on the U.S. All photos by Keiller Kyle, courtesy of Audubon California.

Blackbirds 188

Blackbirds California Cattle Eggs 188

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2012

I’ve been reading Bernd Heinrich’s Summer World lately and was struck by his description of the song of the Red-winged Blackbird as “oog-la-ee.” What follows is a rundown of a dozen different authors’ take on the song of the Red-winged Blackbird. ” This clearly required more research! .”

Blackbirds 159

Blackbirds Research Birds 159

10,000 Birds

JULY 2, 2021

The bird is, of course, none other than the Common Blackbird ( Turdus merula ), the original blackbird of European folklore and nursery rhyme fame, better known to North American birders as the Eurasian Blackbird and unrelated to those “blackbirds” of the family Icteridae found in the New World.

2019 260

2019 Blackbirds Portugal Bats 260

10,000 Birds

MARCH 24, 2022

There is a saying among birders – not very well known – that if life gives you lemonade, you should take photos of Chinese Blackbird chicks. While occasionally singing, most of the time … … the adult blackbirds are working hard … … because the chicks are always hungry. So that is what I did.

Blackbirds 236

Blackbirds Soreing Birds 236

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 16, 2020

There were large flocks of Brown-headed Cowbirds and Yellow-headed Blackbirds , with some Red-winged Blackbirds in the mix. Up close, you could see mostly Yellow-headed Blackbirds , but with some Cowbirds mixed in. The best activity was to be found in the reedbeds along the non-tollroad lake crossing. Just part of one flock.

Rights 263

Rights 2017 2020 Blackbirds 263

10,000 Birds

JULY 12, 2024

One tends to take woodies for granted Brown but not boring: a Meadow Pipit An everyday bird it might be, but the c**k Blackbird’s song is one of the best. This one was photographed in my garden on a wet day in April.

Cyprus 214

Cyprus Greece Spain Europe 214

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 18, 2019

But North Coast also makes a bird-themed beer, Le Merle, an interpretation of a Belgian, farmhouse-style saison with a name borrowed from the French word for the Common (Eurasian) Blackbird ( Turdus merula ). Birds and Booze readers may remember another saison originally named for le merle that we looked at about a year ago.

Blackbirds 102

Blackbirds California Family Birds 102

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 2, 2018

But the name of this beer had nothing to do with “Sixteen Tons” of coal, or “Okies” from Muskogee, but birds: merle is also the French word for “blackbird”. And, of course, by blackbirds I mean true thrushes of the family Turdidae , of which the Common (Eurasian) Blackbird ( Turdus merula ) is the most famous in European culture and folklore.

Blackbirds 113

Blackbirds Belgium Wounded Colorado 113

10,000 Birds

APRIL 6, 2022

Brewer’s Blackbirds are rare treats down here in Michoacán. Still, this Carrion Crow in Munich, Germany, had that Blackbird beat: It came so close to me that it did not fit in the camera’s frame. Black-necked Stilts always have lots of personality, so I couldn’t choose just one photo.

Blackbirds 187

Blackbirds Germany Sparrows Adoptable 187

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2021

He got to some of the hotspots in his home town and enjoyed seeing a variety of fall migrants from wood-warblers to blackbirds. Corey spent his weekend upstate visiting his folks, picking apples, and, of course, looking for birds. How about you? What was your best bird of the weekend?

Blackbirds 214

Blackbirds Birds Sparrows Wildlife 214

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2023

Chinese Blackbird s are among the most common birds in the Shanghai compound where I live (and where fortunately this year I am not actually locked in, a contrast to the situation one year ago). It was my impression that they are thriving here, and a very recent (2023) paper confirms that indeed Chinese Blackbirds do well in cities.

Blackbirds 202

Blackbirds Birds Indonesia Bhutan 202

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2023

For example, these may all technically be Blackbirds, but there are Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds and a Brown-headed Cowbird in this one photo. It also really helps when the birds opt for inclusion, and hang out in mixed flocks. So modern of them. Dowitchers , Teals , and Wigeons , oh my!

Blackbirds 147

Blackbirds Ducks Mexico 2020 147

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2021

After a night at the Point Reyes hostel and a long walk to Limantour Beach the next morning, Katherine and I drove into Point Reyes Station for a breakfast of buttermilk blueberry scones at the excellent Bovine Bakery , where the Brewer’s Blackbirds ( Euphagus cyanocephalus ) outside gathered around us and begged for crumbs.

San Francisco 236

San Francisco 2020 California Blackbirds 236

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2023

A hen Chaffinch in contemplative mood Robin s can never resist free food Blackbirds have a very sexist name, for only the male is black Needless to say, no Willow Tit came to the food, and most of the other customers were birds that I see daily in my garden: Blackbirds, Chaffinches and the odd Dunnock.

Barn Owls 218

Barn Owls Rats Japan Blackbirds 218

10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2020

And then there are those startling bright red eyes, which distinguish them from all other blackbirds in my region, and make them look quite capable of peering into your soul and taking over your will. I’m not particularly proud of these photos. A cool, slightly spooky blackbird versus a muddy-looking blackbird?

Blackbirds 155

Blackbirds Mexico Cattle Birds 155

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 26, 2019

Common Blackbird. Spoiler alert: nothing too exciting for somebody familiar with European birds, but interesting enough for me …. European Robin. Yellowhammer. Common Chaffinch. Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Great Spotted Woodpecker. European Greenfinch. House Sparrow. Eurasian Blue Tit. Eurasian Jay.

Germany 214

Germany Neglecting Blackbirds Sparrows 214

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2020

I saw my first migratory Eastern Phoebe of 2020 this morning at Cunningham Park in my home borough of Queens, where I was looking for my first Rusty Blackbirds of the year. (I I found them too!) The phoebe was busy flycatching over a vernal pool, often hitting the water as it chased bugs. For me, it is now officially spring!

2020 205

2020 2017 2018 2019 205

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2024

That’s a Melodious Blackbird in the background. Two classic birds of Mexico’s east coast are also present. The Brown Jay is noisy, large, and bold. The Clay-colored Thrush may get its name from the fact that it is as common as dirt here. And they are… Melodious , that is.

Barn Owls 214

Barn Owls Mexico Parrots ALA 214

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2020

For me, the view of Red-winged Blackbirds puffed up with territorial bravado signals the approach of spring, even if we’re have to endure a few more snowstorms to get there! Some times of year offer more avian excitement than others, and recent signs even as far north as I live suggest we’ve just entered such a period.

2020 178

2020 Blackbirds Birds Experience 178

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 25, 2015

A new paper out this month attempts to paint the most comprehensive picture yet of the origins and diversification of the American sparrows, wood-warblers, blackbirds, cardinals, tanagers, and their kin, an enormous group of birds more than 800 species strong. Burns, John Klicka, Scott M. Lanyon, and Irby J.

Sparrows 257

Sparrows North America South America Blackbirds 257

10,000 Birds

MAY 18, 2023

Underneath an arched branch, one familiar bird, a Common Blackbird female… but after a recent split in 2005 by Rasmussen and Anderton, it was elevated to a full species – Indian Blackbird ( Turdus simillimus ). It belongs to the same species as those in Europe, but a smaller subspecies ( Sus scrofa davidi ).

India 147

India Boars Lions Mammals 147

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2023

From Yellow-hooded Blackbirds to Purple and Common Gallinules , there are almost too many birds to focus on! While the P-a-P Wildfowl Trust’s main thrust is the breeding and release of five duck species, the habitat encourages a number of native wetland birds to inhabit and proliferate the area.

Trinidad 262

Trinidad Birds Ducks Fish 262

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 20, 2013

For those of us in the Americas, nine-primaried oscines are among our most familiar and beloved birds: finches; sparrows, juncos, and towhees; warblers; blackbirds, meadowlarks, and orioles; cardinals and grosbeaks; and tanagers. Icteridae : New World blackbirds, orioles, meadowlarks, etc. Or blackbirds and warblers? I think so.

Family 180

Family Blackbirds Groups Sparrows 180

10,000 Birds

APRIL 4, 2020

Eurasian Blackbird ( Turdus merula ). Red-winged Blackbird ( Agelaius phoeniceus ). Spotted Wren ( Campylorhynchus gularis ). European Starling ( Sturnus vulgaris ). Blue Mockingbird ( Melanotis caerulescens ). Song Thrush ( Turdus philomelos ). Clay-colored Thrush ( Turdus grayi ). American Robin ( Turdus migratorius ).

2020 151

2020 New Zealand Blackbirds Nashville 151

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2019

In the same low trees, pale lavender colored flowers attracted other species, among them a pair of Melodious Blackbirds that also flicked their tails but in a more pronounced fashion. In typical blackbird fashion, this common garden bird gave occasional, loud, ringing calls. These were. Great Kiskadee. Social Flycatcher.

Costa Rica 175

Costa Rica Barn Owls Stray Dog Blackbirds 175

10,000 Birds

JUNE 2, 2022

Common Redstart , European Greenfinch , Song Thrush , Eurasian Blackbird , Common Nightingale , Eurasian Blue and Great T**s , Eurasian Blackcap and Eurasian Nuthatch were singing from every direction conceivable. The most numerous birds are Common Chaffinches.

Croatia 232

Croatia Serbia Shelters France 232

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2011

The national bird of Sweden is the Blackbird Turdus merula , otherwise known as the Common Blackbird or Eurasian Blackbird , though, of course, in Sweden it is not known by any of those names but as Koltrast.* The Blackbird became the Swedish national bird as a result of a newspaper poll in 1962.

Sweden 188

Sweden Malta Costa Rica Blackbirds 188

10,000 Birds

APRIL 26, 2020

We got out to Lucien Morin during a break in the rain and saw nothing more seasonal than Red-winged Blackbirds claiming their individual patches of marshland. The ridiculous cold afflicting the northeastern U.S. seems to have chilled the rush of migrants around here.

2020 167

2020 ALA Blackbirds Birds 167

10,000 Birds

APRIL 18, 2020

Lady Helen’s thundering progress kicked up the turf and brought opportunities for our resident Eurasian Blackbirds. Our garden birds have taken to using the jumps and markers as lookout posts from which to drop on unsuspecting worms and insects. There are at least four individuals, 2 males and two females.

Birds 166

Birds Blackbirds Game Eagles 166

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2012

So, to cut things short, there is sickness all around me, and I have thus decided to have my February post whistle to that tune as well and give an update to the mysterious die-off amongst our Eurasian Blackbirds that occurred around my home turf in Heidelberg last summer – blogged about here. Significantly reduced flight distance.

Germany 160

Germany Blackbirds 2006 Denmark 160

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 8, 2015

An angry Red-winged Blackbird attacked again and again, flashing its bright epaulettes and hitting the heron hard in the middle of its back. The blackbird appeared to be purposefully targeting the heron’s back. It continued to fish, working its way slowly along the bank while the blackbird continued its assault.

Blackbirds 155

Blackbirds Hunting Raised Fish 155

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2014

Eurasian Blackbirds living in cities have learned to keep their cool, compared with rural birds. News Bell Miner Birds Eurasian Blackbird kenya Zebra Finches' Female Zebra Finches are one-male birds in the wild, but not so in captivity. Feel free to weigh in, down-under Clare, who also took the shot above!) Planning on birding Kenya?

San Jose 160

San Jose Parrots Kenya Paraguay 160