290 BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. 



498. Agelaius phoeniceus (Linn.). RED- WINGED BLACKBIRD.! 



Adult male in breeding plumage. Black except for red and buffy 

 brown or whitish shoulder patches. Adult male in winter : like summer 



male, but buff of wing coverts 

 deeper and scapulars and inter- 

 scapulars edged with rusty. 

 Adult female in breeding plum- 

 age : plumage of harsh texture 

 compared with the silky plum- 

 age of the male ; streaked, top 

 of head dark brown, with buffy 

 median crown stripe and su- 

 perciliary ; nape and fore part 

 of back dark brown, lightly 

 marked with buffy ; shoulders 

 faintly tinged with red ; under 

 parts whitish, heavily streaked 

 with dark brown ; throat vari- 

 ably tinged with creamy, buff, 

 From Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. or p i n ki s h. Adult female in win- 

 Fig. 360. ter . iighte r markings of upper 

 parts more conspicuous, under parts tinged with buffy. Immature male : 

 epaulettes flecked with black and varying from orange to red ; black of plu- 

 mage obscured by heavy rusty and buffy edgings above, and light ashy or 

 brownish tips below. Young : like adult female, but throat, superciliary, 

 and malar stripes yellowish ; ground color of under parts pale buffy or 

 yellowish with narrow dusky streaks. Male: length (skins) 8.10-9.30, 

 wing 4.58-4.95, tail 3.49-3.78, bill .88-1.00. Female: length (skins) 6.80- 

 7.45, wing 3.75-4.00, tail 2.76-3.05, bill .68-.80. 



Distribution. Eastern North America to Rocky Mountains. 

 Nest. Attached to upright stems of sedges or reeds, or to branches of 

 bushes or small trees in marshes or swamps ; made compactly of dried 

 grasses. Eggs : 3 to 5, pale bluish, varying to olive, marked with black, 

 brown, or purplish gray, usually with pen lines and blotches. 

 Food. Injurious insects, grain, and weed seed. 



In the semi -arid parts of the west where a bit of marsh is the one 

 green acre when the hills and valleys have turned brown in sum- 

 mer, the marsh birds have a peculiar charm. The red-wing, with 

 his black coat and the gleam of keen red from his epaulettes, is a 

 strong note in the landscape, but best of all is his flute-like o-ka-lee, 

 with its cool suggestions of marsh grass and cat-tails. 



498a. A. p. sonoriensis Eidgw. SONORAN RED-WING. 



Like A. phoeniceus, but larger; female much lighter, buffy tints prevail- 

 ing on upper parts ; throat pinkish, streaking of under parts much duller 

 and less striking; bill thicker. Male: length (skins) 8.15-9.35, wing 

 4.80-5.09, tail 3.38-3.98, bill .89-1.00. Female: length (skins) 6.80-7.86, 

 wing 3.88-4.15, bill .70-.84. 



1 Agelaius phoeniceus richmondi Nelson. VERA CRUZ RED-WING. (The Auk, xiv. 58.) 

 Like phoeniceus but smaller, adult male with wing coverts deeper colored, at least in 



winter ; adult female lighter colored. 

 Distribution. Coast district of lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and south to Costa 



Rica. (Ridgway's Birds of North and Middle America, ii. 335.) 



