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Location: Lake Murray, La Mesa, CA
Date: 2004-05-18
Lens: Canon 400mm F5.6
Date: 2004-05-18
Lens: Canon 400mm F5.6
Tricolored Blackbird
Agelaius tricolor
DescriptionThese birds sometimes flock with other blackbirds, so look carefully among the others and you may see this bird. This birds diet depends mostly on the season. In spring and summer the majority of their diet is composed of insects, grasshoppers, and spiders. In fall and winter, seeds and grains, such as oats and rice, are the major food source. Foraging occurs on the ground in croplands, grassy fields, flood land, and along edges of water.
General: 7.5 to 8.5 inches in length.
Male: Entirely black bird with bright red shoulder patch bordered by white. Sharp, pointed bill.
Female: Solid black-brown above and below. Whitish streaks on throat. Sometimes has pale supercilium and yellowish tinge to face and throat.
Juvinile: Similar to female.
Marshes, meadows, and farmlands.
Nesting3-4 greenish eggs with brown marks and an incubation period of 11-13 days. Fledging occurs 11-14 days after hatching. The nest is an open cup made from marsh reeds and grasses. Nests in colonies. The nests may be built extremely close to each other (about 5 to 6 inches apart).
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