The bird feeder in the backyard is just outside the window for easy viewing. I find it the best entertainment around, for the ready stream of winged creatures who come to visit and nibble is endlessly fascinating.
Last week, the feeder nearly toppled over when a flock of redwinged blackbirds descended. Starting in early December, these birds travel and go wherever they can to find food. In this case, my back yard.
It was pretty impressive. They emptied a large bird feeder in a single afternoon. For a short while, Jack and I kept track of an individual bird who somehow managed to fend off all the others. But then of course, he left too as more and more birds came to feed. All the other bird species just gave up and watched from nearby branches.
During winter, redwinged blackbirds fly in huge flock, often with other birds such as common blackbirds, grackles, and cowbirds. Numbering in the hundreds, these flocks fill the skies, turning and swooping together like a giant ballet. Apparently, there is no one individual bird that takes the lead, but any single bird from the flock can initiate a turn or dive, probably in response to either sighting food or a predator.
These large flocks are called murmurations. This term was originally used for the flocks of starlings in Europe which would make soft murmuring sounds as they flew. For OUR black birds, perhaps the flocks should be called “squawk” -ations because they are sooo loud.
The males are the only ones sporting the beautiful yellow and red patches on the shoulder. Females of the species are dark brown above, brown and buff striped below and not nearly as beautiful as the males. The males are polygynous and can have up to 15 female mates at one time.
This abundant and common bird is found year in Georgia, though they usually spend the summers not in urban backyards but in swamps and marshes – yet another excellent reason to protect our wetlands!
I love watching the birds, especially in winter for it is a warm reminder of how alive and vibrant the earth is, even when it’s cold and grey.
Laura
And they have beautiful songs, too!