290 
BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. 
498. Agelaius phoeniceus (Linn.). Red-winged Blackbird . 1 
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 pinkish. Adult female in win- 
Fig ' 3G0, ter: lighter 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 Bidgw. 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.) 
