267 
498. Red-winged Blackbird (Including Thick-bill, San Diego, and Northwest- 
ern Red-wing). soldier blackbird. Agttoiua phoeniceus. L, 9-51. Plate XLVII B. 
Male: black with brilliant red shoulders. Female: dark brown above, softly tinged and 
striped with rusty and dull ochre; below, striped with dull white and dark brown. 
Distinctions. The spring male, with his jet black body and the brilliant crimson and 
yellow shoulder bars formed of the upperwing coverts, is u nmis takable. The brown 
female, sharply striped below, is also easily recognizable. Young males have the black 
more or less feather edged with rusty and the red of the wings reduced to scattered spots 
of red or orange. 
Field Marks. The black body and red shoulders of the male. The female’s general 
Blackbird appearance and the sharp striping below. The Red-wing has many notes 
common to nearly all the Blackbirds, but the most distinctive one may be rendered a clear 
drawn-out *' O-ke-leeee ” or “O-ke-reeee" with a rising inflection at the end. It is a character- 
istic and not unmusical sound of the marshes and sloughs. 
Nesting. In well-made structure of grasses tied to rushes or tules, above the water. 
Distribution. North America, from central Mackenzie south. In western Canada, 
across the continent, in all suitable reedy or tule marshes of the Prairie Provinces and 
southern British Columbia. 
SUBSPECIES. The Check-list recognizes a number of geographical races of this 
species. The Eastern Red-winged Aaelaius phoeniceus phoeniceus occurs east of the Great 
Lakes. The Thick-billed Red-wingea Agdaius phoeniceus fortis inhabits the Prairie Prov- 
inces. Some authorities divide this form into northern and southern races, referring 
Canadian birds to the Northern Red-winged Agelaius phoeniceus arctolegus. The bird of the 
interior valleys of southern British Columbia is referred to the San Diego Red-wing 
Agelaius phoeniceus neutralis and that of the coast is the Northwestern Red-wing Agelaius 
phoeniceus caurinics. The differences between these forms are so slight and variable as to 
be of little popular interest and only possible of recognition by the enthusiastic expert. 
No reedy marsh in Canada is complete without one or more pairs of 
Red-wings chasing each other or clinging to the cat-tails or tules, the males 
spreading their wings and tail and twisting themselves into constrained 
attitudes as they squeeze out their clear “O-ke-ree” with a roll on the last 
syllable, in sight and hearing of the females. In the spring the Black- 
birds usually arrive in large flocks of mixed species which keep together 
for a few days and then separate. The Red-wings repair to the marshes 
and before the reeds begin to grow they settle down to their domestic 
arrangements. When the family cares are over for the season all Black- 
bird species unite again in flocks that darken the sky, roosting together 
in the marshes when possible, and scattering during the day in groups 
of various sizes which frequent the harvest fields. 
Economic Status . The character of its food makes the Red-wing 
decidedly beneficial. Weed seeds and injurious insects form 80 per cent 
of its food, and grain about 15 per cent. In July and August more grain 
is eaten, and in the early days of settlement when the acreage under culti- 
vation was small and Blackbirds numerous, they were a serious menace 
to the crops. 
501. 1. Western Meadowlark. Stumella neglecta. L, 10-75. Plate XLVIII A. 
About the size of a large Robin, striped brown 
above, lemon yellow throat, breast and under- 
parts with contrastive black necklace or gorget. 
Bill, long and pointed (-See Figure 256). 
Distinctions. Unmistakable for any other 
species, except the Eastern Meadowlark, 
which it resembles so closely in everything but 
voice, as to be separated from it only 
with difficulty. However, we have no hint 
of the Eastern Meadowlark occurring in 
Canada west of the Great Lakes. 
Figure 256 
Meadowlark; scale, about f. 
Field Marks. Large size; brown back; yellow throat, breast, and underparts with 
black necklace; and the white outer tail feathers, shown in flight, makes the species easy 
of recognition. Its remarkably clear, musical, and varied song is very distinctive. 
