Comments for Yellow-Headed Blackbird (He's BAAACK!)

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Yellow-Headed Blackbird (He's BAAACK!)

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Jun 23, 2009
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Yellow-headed blackbird
by: Tracy

Jennie,

It was no trouble to post the info.

Good luck on getting some pictures!! So far, I've only seen the one, and he's only here for a very short time. I hope to entice him to stick around longer and bring others.

Probably have to wait 'til next spring now. I've not seen any since this photo was taken that day.

Tracy

Jun 23, 2009
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same bird
by: Jennie

Thanks for the info, that looks an awful lot like the same bird, Im going to get the book you mentioned and try it out. Thank you for all the trouble you went to helping me.

Jun 13, 2009
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Yellow-headed Blackbird information
by: Tracy

I'm really hoping the image above came through. If it did, I'll post more.

Tracy

Jun 13, 2009
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Yellow-headed Blackbird information
by: Tracy

Jennie,

If they looked like the bird pictured here, they were Yellow-Headed Blackbirds. (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus-from "Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America-copyright 2000)

It's an excellent guide. I got mine at Menard's. It also has the following information about these birds;

Marsh Blackbirds
The blackbird family (Icteridae) includes orioles, meadowlarks, cowbirds, and others, a diverse group found only in the Americas. Many...are primarily black. Compare to other black birds such as starlings....and crows.

Yellow-Headed Blackbird
In western marshes in summer, this blackbird draws attention with striking colors and with the males' awful attempts to sing. Outside the nesting season, flocks wander through open habitats (including farm fields, prairies, feedlots), often mixing with other blackbirds. >Name describes male; also note his white wing patches, obvious in flight. Female is a bit smaller, sooty brown, with yellow on face and chest, white streaks on belly, no white wing patches. Immatures have some yellow on hed, wing patches small or absent. SONG"male stains to rasp out a few gurgles followed by long, strangles buzzing noise. CALLNOTE: low "tluc"

The map in the book shows them heavy in the western states. They rarely travel east of the Mississippi, and even then they stay north, mainly in Wisconsin and parts of Michigan.

If I get a magnifying glass, I can see that they have the eastern Lucas County and western Ottawa County area shaded a bit too.

It's odd that there would be such a separation as this, but there's no denying they are here at times. I wonder how the few we see, find their way this far east/south.

I've got the map expanded in photobucket here
Unfortunately, the scanning and enlargement process washed it out a bit.

Hope this helps you a bit for the next time you spot 'em!

Tracy

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Jun 13, 2009
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Submitted by: Tracy

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Jennie, If they looked like the bird pictured here, they were Yellow-Headed Blackbirds. (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus-from "Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America-copyright 2000) It's an excellent guide. I got mine at Menard's. It also has the following information about these birds; Marsh Blackbirds The blackbird family (Icteridae) includes orioles, meadowlarks, cowbirds, and others, a diverse group found only in the Americas. Many...are primarily black. Compare to other black birds such as starlings....and crows. Yellow-Headed Blackbird In western marshes in summer, this blackbird draws attention with striking colors and with the males' awful attempts to sing. Outside the nesting season, flocks wander through open habitats (including farm fields, prairies, feedlots), often mixing with other blackbirds. >Name describes male; also note his white wing patches, obvious in flight. Female is a bit smaller, sooty brown, with yellow on face and chest, white streaks on belly, no white wing patches. Immatures have some yellow on hed, wing patches small or absent. SONG"male stains to rasp out a few gurgles followed by long, strangles buzzing noise. CALLNOTE: low "tluc" The map in the book shows them heavy in the western states. They rarely travel east of the Mississippi, and even then they stay north, mainly in Wisconsin and parts of Michigan. If I get a magnifying glass, I can see that they have the eastern Lucas County and western Ottawa County area shaded a bit too. It's odd that there would be such a separation as this, but there's no denying they are here at times. I wonder how the few we see, find their way this far east/south. I've got the map expanded in photobucket <a href="http://s170.photobucket.com/albums/u249/sputnik71/?action=tags&current=Yellow-headed%20blackbird%20range%20migration">here</a> Unfortunately, the scanning and enlargement process washed it out a bit. Hope this helps you a bit for the next time you spot 'em! Tracy

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Jun 13, 2009
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same bird
by: Jennie

Hey Tracy, I think I have the same birds in my yard, I saw one today, June 13 and 4 of them this spring but could not get a close look at them. I tried to get a picture but it flew away. do you know what it is?

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