RED-BREASTED BLACKBIRD 



buff, the lower back grayish white; wings and 

 tail mostly black, the feathers of the tail with 

 pointed tips. Bill black. 



Female. Light olive buff above with a black 

 stripe streaked with buff along each side of the 

 top of the head; back and rump striped with 

 black; a narrow stripe of black in continuation 

 of eye; under parts including sides of head and 

 neck light olive yellowish, the sides and flanks 

 streaked with dusky. Bill brown. 



Male in fall and winter plumage and young. 

 Similar to female. 



A migrant, rare in Panama. Frequents open 

 fields and marshes. 



9. Leistes militaris (Linnaeus) 

 Red-breasted Blackbird 



Length 169 mm. (6.65 in.); tail 56 mm. (2.20 

 in.). 



Male. Breeding plumage. Black, the chest, 

 breast and upper abdomen rich vermilion red. 

 Bill black. 



After breeding season. Buffy grayish edg- 

 ings to black plumage ; tail barred with brownish 

 gray. 



Female. Blackish above streaked with buff; 

 a broad buffy streak above the eye and a black 

 streak in continuation of eye ; under parts mostly 

 brownish buff, the breast and abdomen tinged 

 with pinkish red; edge of wing pinkish red. 



Young. Somewhat like the adult female but 

 chest and sides streaked with dusky. 

 43i 



