Red-winged blackbird

Male red-winged blackbird perched on bare red twigs, showing his red and yellow shoulder patch

The red-winged blackbird is one of the first true signs of spring on the prairies. Perched on a cattail or a bare twig, the male flashes a bright red-and-yellow shoulder patch and sings loudly across the marsh. Among the first migrants back to Manitoba wetlands, the male perches on cattails and fence posts to flash bright red and yellow shoulder patches. His loud, gurgling conk-la-ree can be heard from late March or early April.

Males arrive early, claim a patch of wetland, and defend it with song, displays, and plenty of noise. Females are streaky brown and much quieter, and they build their nests low in the cattails. The red patch is hidden when the bird is relaxed and flares when he is calling or challenging a rival. Females are streaky brown and look more like a large sparrow, and a single male may defend a territory shared by several nests.

Curious about the red-winged blackbird and its habitat? Learn more on its page at All About Birds.

Here are some of my favourite frames of the male red-winged blackbird, on twigs, cattails, and the edge of the marsh.

Field notes in photographs

  • Male red-winged blackbird gathering nesting material from a marsh edge
  • Male red-winged blackbird calling from a cattail at the edge of a marsh
  • Red-winged blackbird photographed in Manitoba, 1
  • Red-winged blackbird photographed in Manitoba, 2
  • Red-winged blackbird photographed in Manitoba, 3
  • Red-winged blackbird photographed in Manitoba, 4
  • Red-winged blackbird photographed in Manitoba, 5
  • Female red-winged blackbird calling with her wings lifted, showing orange on her shoulders, among dry cattails, Manitoba
  • Female red-winged blackbird carrying nesting material in cattails
  • Female red-winged blackbird perched on a cattail stem
  • Female red-winged blackbird perched over water

Red-winged blackbird Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the red-winged blackbird in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the red-winged blackbird nests, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the red-winged blackbird in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Boreal Shield, the Boreal Plains, and the Prairies (gold). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

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