The Migration of North American Birds 



SECOND SERIES 



XVIII. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS 



Compiled by Harry C. Oberholser, Chiefly from Data in the Biological Survey 

 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD 



The well-known Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phceniceus) in some one 

 of its many forms is found throughout most of North America. Mexico, and 

 Central America, north to Quebec, Mackenzie, and British Columbia, and 

 south to Costa Rica. Northward and eastward it is migratory, but the Cali- 

 fornia races and those akng the Gulf of Mexico seem to be mostly resident. 

 The distribution of the North American subspecies is given below. 



The Florida Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phceniceus phceniceus) is 

 resident in the southeastern United States from southern Florida (excepting 

 the southeastern coast and the Keys) north to the coast region of South 

 Carolina, to southern Alabama, southern Louisiana, and southeastern Texas. 



The Bahama Red-winged Blackbird ( Agelaius pha niceus bryanti) is resident 

 in southeastern Florida, the Florida Keys to Key West, and in the Bahama 

 Islands. 



The Rio Grande Red-winged Blackbird ( Agelaius pha niceus megapotamus) is 

 resident in central southern Texas, Tamaulipas, and northern Vera Cruz, Mexico. 



The Eastern Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phceniceus predatorius) 

 breeds in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, north to 

 Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Ontario; west to central Ontario, central Wisconsin, 

 Iowa, Missouri, eastern Oklahoma, and northeastern Texas; south to northern 

 Louisiana, northern Alabama, and North Carolina; and east to the Atlantic 

 coast from North Carolina to Nova Scotia. It winters regularly north to 

 southern Virginia and Arkansas, occasionally to southern New York and 

 northern Illinois; and south to the coast of the Gulf of Mexico from Florida 

 to Texas. 



The Northern Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phceniceus arctolegus) 

 breeds in central Canada and the central northern United States, north to 

 northern Manitoba (central Keewatin) and southern Mackenzie; west to 

 western Mackenzie, Alberta, and southeastern British Columbia; south to 

 Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and northern Michigan; and east to 

 northern Michigan and eastern Manitoba. In migration it wanders east to 

 Ohio and Connecticut; and winters south to Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama. 



The Thick-billed Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phceniceus fortis) breeds 

 in the central United States, north to Wyoming; west to Wyoming and central 

 Colorado; south to northwestern Texas; and east to central Nebraska. It 

 occurs, at least in migration, east to southwestern Minnesota, and winters 

 south to northern New Mexico, southern Texas, and Louisiana. 



The Nevada Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phceniceus ncvadensis) breeds 



(8 S ) 



