Rusty blackbird
Rusty blackbird | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Icteridae |
Genus: | Euphagus |
Species: | E. carolinus
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Binomial name | |
Euphagus carolinus (
Muller , 1776) | |
Range of E. carolinus Breeding range Wintering range
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The rusty blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) is a medium-sized
during winter.Formerly abundant, the rusty blackbird has undergone one of the most rapid declines of any abundant bird species in North America in recent years, for reasons that are not well understood.
Description
Adults have a pointed bill and a pale yellow eye. They have black plumage with faint green and purple gloss; the female is greyer. "Rusty" refers to the brownish winter plumage. They resemble the western member of the same genus, the Brewer's blackbird; however, Brewer's has a longer bill and the male's head is iridescent green.
Standard Measurements[3][4] | |
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length | 8.5–9.8 in (220–250 mm) |
weight | 60 g (2.1 oz) |
wingspan | 14 in (360 mm) |
wing | 110.5–117.4 mm (4.35–4.62 in) |
tail | 85–94.5 mm (3.35–3.72 in) |
culmen | 19–21.9 mm (0.75–0.86 in) |
tarsus | 29.5–33 mm (1.16–1.30 in) |
Habitat
Their breeding habitat is wet
These birds
Behavior
This section includes a improve this section by introducing more precise citations. (September 2014) ) |
They forage on wet ground or in shallow water, mainly eating insects, small fish and some seeds. Their most common mode of foraging is to vigorously flip leaves and rip at submerged aquatic vegetation. The mast of small-acorn producing oaks, such as willow oak, is also important. In some areas, the nuts of planted pecans are heavily used. They very rarely will attack small passerine birds, and have been known to kill species as large as the Wilson's snipe. They feed in flocks during migration and on the wintering grounds, sometimes joining other blackbirds, both often occurring in single species flocks. They more often roost with other blackbirds; some small roosts are in brushy vegetation in old fields and others are in massive mixed flocks—sometimes in the urban areas.
The species nests relatively early for a boreal forest bird. They linger in the boreal zone to complete their
Fairly quiet in fall migration and most of the winter, both males and females will sing (particularly on warm days) in the late winter and spring. The song consists of gurgling and high-pitched squeaks.
Population
Rusty blackbirds have declined significantly in recent decades. The reasons are unclear, but
Additionally, citizen science projects such as the North American Breeding Bird Survey and Christmas Bird Count have determined that rusty blackbirds have dropped 85%–98% in the past 40 years. This is very worrisome for many people, as scientists are desperately trying to figure out what exactly went wrong. Sighting submission services such as eBird are encouraging birders to keep track of rusty blackbirds. The International Rusty Blackbird Working Group has been actively coordinating and conducting research on this species since 2005.
References
- . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0".
- ^ Godfrey, W. Earl (1966). The Birds of Canada. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada. p. 358.
- ISBN 0-679-45122-6.
- ^ ISBN 978-0691123233.
- ^ "2006-2007 Red List status changes". BirdLife International. Archived from the original on 28 August 2007. Retrieved 26 August 2007.
- ^ BirdLife species factsheet for Euphagus carolinus
- Jaramillo, Alvaro; Burke, Peter (1999). New World Blackbirds. London: ISBN 0-7136-4333-1.
External links
- The International Rusty Blackbird Working Group
- Rusty Blackbird Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Rusty Blackbird - Euphagus carolinus - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- "Rusty blackbird media". Internet Bird Collection.
- Rusty blackbird photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)
- Audio recordings of Rusty Blackbird on Xeno-canto.