Blackbird – interesting bird
Blackbirds are songbirds named for the black color of the males’ feathers. The blackbird family consists of 94 medium-sized species of birds. Common (or Old World) blackbird is related to thrushes, robins, and bluebirds. The best-known types are the red-winged blackbird and the yellow-headed blackbird.
The blackbird lives in woods and gardens in Europe, Asia, New Zealand, and Australia. Most types are found in North America. They live in marshes, fields, prairies, woods, and towns.
These birds are from about 20 to 28 centimeters in length. The males are black and the females are brown.
Most blackbirds eat mainly insects and grains and other seeds.
The most widespread species is the red-winged blackbird. This bird breeds in tall marshes and other wet places. They generally spend the winter in the flocks, mostly in southern parts of their range.
The rare yellow–shouldered blackbird is similar to its North American relative the red–winged blackbird. Its body is 18 to 23 centimeters long and dark gray in color. Females are smaller than males. The birds nest in colonies and defend the immediate territory around their nests. The yellow–shouldered blackbird is monogamous. The female lays 2 to 3 eggs and sits on them for 12 to 14 days before they hatch.
Cowbirds are species of open habitats. They have an unusual breeding strategy, they are nest parasites. They lay single eggs in the nests of other species, and sometimes remove eggs of the host bird. The cowbird chick develops rapidly, and can fly in only nine or ten days after hatching.