Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
The common name for the red-winged blackbird is taken from the mainly black adult male's distinctive red shoulder patches, or epaulets, which are visible when the bird is flying or displaying. At rest, the male also shows a pale yellow wingbar. The spots of males less than one year old, generally subordinate, are smaller and more orange than those of adults. The female is blackish-brown and paler below. The female is smaller than the male, at 17–18 cm (6.7–7.1 in) long and weighing 41.5 g (1.46 oz), against his length of 22–24 cm (8.7–9.4 in) and weight of 64 g (2.3 oz). Voice: The calls of the red-winged blackbird are a throaty check and a high slurred whistle, terrr-eeee. The male's song, accompanied by a display of his red shoulder patches, is a scratchy oak-a-lee, except that in many western birds, including bicolored blackbirds, it is ooPREEEEEom. The female also sings, typically a scolding chatter chit chit chit chit chit chit cheer teer teer teerr.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Tawny-shouldered Blackbird
Agelaius humeralis
The tawny-shouldered blackbird is 19 to 22 cm (7.5 to 8.7 in) long. Males weigh an average of 38.3 g (1.4 oz) and females an average of 34.5 g (1.2 oz). Adult males of the nominate subspecies are mostly black with a slight bluish gloss. Their lesser and median upperwing coverts are tawny and the median coverts have yellowish cream tips. Adult females are duskier than males and lack the bluish gloss. They have a smaller amount of tawny on the coverts and the median coverts are partly black. Both sexes have a dark brown iris, a black bill, and black legs and feet. Voice: Both sexes of the tawny-shouldered blackbird sing, "1–2 protracted buzzing notes, sometimes introduced with shorter buzz at higher pitch", and pairs sometimes duet. Their calls include "chuk or cheek" and "nasal and metallic notes".
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Red-winged Blackbird and Tawny-shouldered Blackbird.