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Range (Western North America north)

Western North America, north to Manitoba, east to Illinois; winters from the Southern States southward; accidental in Massachusetts, District of Columbia, South Carolina, and Florida. Washington, A. V., one instance, Aug. Cambridge, A. V., one record, Oct. Nest, bulky, of coarse reeds, grasses, etc., in marshes. Eggs, four to five, grayish white, evenly and rather obscurely speckled with pale cinnamonbrown, 1.00 × 72. "These birds are largely terrestrial in their habits, and during the fall and winter months are generally distributed over the prairies and BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. plains, often following and running about with the cattle, in company with Cowbirds; but their natural home is on or about the marshy, weedy grounds, and during the breeding season [they are] seldom to be met with far away.... "Their notes are harsh, and their attempt at song a laborious, whistling, squeaky, chuckling sound" (Goss). 498. Agelaius phœniceus (Linn.). RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. Ad. 8.-Lesser wing-coverts-"shoulders "-bright scarlet; middle wingcoverts varying from ochraceous-buff to buffy white; rest of the plumage black-in fall and winter specimens more or less tipped with rusty. Im. 8.- Upper parts margined with rusty and buffy; under parts tipped with whitish; lesser wing-coverts dull orange-red mixed with black. Ad. q. - Head and back blackish, streaked with rusty and buffy; rump and upper tail-coverts fuscous, more or less edged with ashy; wings fuscous, edged with buffy, the lesser coverts sometimes tinged with reddish; under parts conspicuously streaked with black and white; the throat tinged with orange or yellow. ♂ L., 9.51; W., 472; T., 377; B., 88.