A fledgling red-winged blackbird is a young red-winged blackbird that has recently left the nest and is learning to fly and fend for itself. Red-winged blackbirds are a common sight across much of North America and known for the male’s bright red shoulder patches bordered in yellow. The juveniles look different than the adults and go through a series of changes in their first year as they mature into adult plumage.
Nestlings
Nestling red-winged blackbirds are born featherless except for some down on their heads. Their eyes are closed at first. Within a week, their eyes open, they grow more down feathers on their body and flight feathers on their wings. At two weeks old, nestlings develop dark feathers on their wings, tail and head. The male nestlings start to show some reddish coloring on their wings. At this stage, the nestlings still cannot fly or walk very far. Both male and female nestlings appear similar.
Fledglings
After two to three weeks in the nest, young red-winged blackbirds fledge, meaning they leave the nest and fly for the first time. Newly fledged redwings appear mostly dark brown to black overall. Their wings and tail show some iridescence. Fledglings have a distinctive rounded head shape compared to adults. The male fledglings may start to develop some pinkish-red coloring on their lesser wing coverts, the feathers along the “shoulders” of the bird. The red coloring is dull and brownish compared to adults. The females do not develop any red coloring.
Other features of fledgling red-winged blackbirds include:
- Large dark eyes
- Pinkish legs, feet and bill
- Prominent yellow gape at the base of the beak
- Soft, fuzzy juvenile plumage
- Underdeveloped tail feathers
- Clumsy flight skills and limited flying stamina
Fledglings beg loudly for food with constant raspy calls. Their flight skills need lots of practice, so they start off making short flights between perches and fluttering clumsily between branches. Fledglings follow their parents closely and return to the nest at night for the first few days after fledging. Red-winged blackbird fledglings often gather together in small flocks. The young birds gradually gain independence and learn to forage on their own.
Immature Red-winged Blackbirds
In the weeks and months after fledging, immature red-winged blackbirds take on more adult-like plumage. However, some key differences from adults remain:
- Duller black plumage overall with some retained juvenile feathers
- Males have a variable amount of pink-red on wings – may show distinctive pale median and greater coverts forming white lines on wings
- Dark brown eyes
- Dark bill that lightens towards yellowish flesh-tone at the base
- Retain gape flanges at the base of the beak
- Can be identified by molt limits in greater coverts
Around one to two months after fledging, immature redwings join large flocks, sometimes mixed with other blackbird species. They learn to forage on their own and practice flying skills. Immature males may start to show some territorial behavior and males may utter broken songs. Full adult plumage does not complete until the first spring after hatching.
Adult Male Red-winged Blackbird
Adult male red-winged blackbirds are unmistakable with jet black body plumage and bright red shoulder patches (“epaulets”) bordered in light yellow. Other features include:
- Shiny black plumage with blue iridescent sheen on heads and wings
- Bright crimson red lesser wing coverts forming shoulder patches
- Yellow line borders the red patches
- White median coverts form white bar on closed wing
- Long pointed black tail with white outer tail feathers visible during flight
- Black legs, feet
- Conical black bill
- Yellow eyes
Males are very territorial and aggressive in defending their breeding areas in marshes. They make themselves prominent with loud vocalizations and displays of their colorful wing patches.
Adult Female Red-winged Blackbird
Adult female red-winged blackbirds lack the bright red shoulder patches of the males. They display more brown and streaked plumage overall. Identification features include:
- Brown head and breast densely streaked with darker brown
- Brown back with dark brown streaks
- Pale yellow-brown underparts with dark brown streaks
- Plain face with pale supercilium (eyebrow)
- Plain wings without any red
- Sharply pointed tail
- Pinkish-brown conical bill
- Dark brown eyes
Females are secretive in habits during the breeding season as they incubate eggs and brood young in hidden nests within marshes. Their streaked plumage provides camouflage in the reeds.
Differences Between Male and Female Red-winged Blackbirds
The table below summarizes the main differences between male and female red-winged blackbirds:
| Characteristic | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Plumage color | Black with bright red shoulder patches | Brown and streaked |
| Plumage patterns | Jet black with crisp reddish patches on shoulders | Heavily streaked brown plumage |
| Bill color | Black | Pinkish-brown |
| Vocalizations | Loud, melodious whistles and calls | Harsher chip notes |
| Behavior | Aggressive and territorial | Secretive |
Changes in Appearance with Age
Red-winged blackbirds go through distinct changes in appearance from the time they hatch to adulthood:
| Age | Appearance |
|---|---|
| Nestlings | Downy, eyes closed, no feathers |
| Fledglings | Mostly dark brown-black plumage, dull pinkish-red wing patches in males, prominent gape |
| Immatures | Gradual molt towards adult-like plumage but still shows some juvenile feathers |
| First year males | Black plumage with bright red shoulder patches, may retain some brown juvenile wing feathers |
| Adult males | Definitive black plumage with crimson red wing patches bordered in yellow |
| First year females | Brown, streaked plumage, may retain some juvenile wing feathers |
| Adult females | Definitive finely streaked brown plumage with pale supercilium |
The progression in plumage occurs gradually over the first year until birds reach adult appearance by their first breeding season.
Behaviors of Fledgling Red-winged Blackbirds
The behaviors of recently fledged red-winged blackbirds differ from adults in many ways as the young birds learn skills vital for survival:
- Flight – Fledglings have weak, unsteady flight and can only fly short distances. They practice flapping between perches.
- Vocalizations – Fledglings make frequent loud, raspy calls to beg for food from parents.
- Foraging – At first fledglings are fed by parents, but soon start awkwardly foraging on their own.
- Predator awareness – Fledglings lack caution towards predators and may allow close approach.
- Social – Fledglings follow parents closely and sleep in nest or sheltered sites at night.
- Independence – Within a few weeks, fledglings become independent and join juvenile flocks.
The constant demands of fledglings for care are an exhausting period for parent red-winged blackbirds who must provide food and protection during the day and keep the young sheltered at night. But fledglings quickly mature into successful foragers and independent juveniles ready to migrate in the fall.
Habitat and Range
The habitat needs of fledgling red-winged blackbirds are the same as adults. They require wetland areas near open fields or meadows that provide food and nesting places. Red-winged blackbirds thrive in and around:
- Marshes
- Wet ditches
- Ponds
- Lakeshores
- Agricultural fields
- Meadows
- Pastures
They nest in vegetation at the edges of water or wet soil. Cattails, rushes, sedges and shrubs provide important cover. Proximity to open ground for feeding is key.
The breeding range covers much of North America from southern Canada through the United States into Mexico. Northern populations migrate south for winter while some southern groups are permanent residents year-round. They are absent only from the extreme northern boreal forests and arid southwest desert regions.
Conclusion
Fledgling red-winged blackbirds emerge from the nest dark brown to black overall with hints of dull red starting to appear on the wings of males. Within weeks, they develop progressively adult-like plumage with males attaining bright red shoulder patches and females becoming finely streaked brown. Behaviors quickly shift from complete dependence on parents to independent life. Red-winged blackbirds thrive near water across North America. While many migrate south in winter, they return in spring to breed in wetlands and fields of their natal ranges.
