Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 29, 1993 TAG: 9403230007
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Patricia Held
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The familiar nursery rhyme, ``Four and twenty blackbirds, baked in a pie,'' refers to the European blackbird, which is more closely related to our robin than to our own blackbirds.
In North America, the blackbird family is more formally known as the family Icteridae and includes some black colored birds as well as a few marked with orange and or yellow. Some Western Virginia blackbirds include bobolinks, eastern meadowlarks, red-winged blackbirds, cowbirds and grackles. The orioles are also included in this family.
While the brightly marked birds of the blackbird family are easy to differentiate, those that are mostly colored with black and brownish mottling can get pretty confusing. What makes it even more confusing is that red-wings, cowbirds and grackles all tend to flock together and are often joined by starlings, another black colored bird.
So, for those of you who have asked me how to tell all of these black colored birds apart, here is what I look for to identify each species:
Cowbirds
This is the smallest of our local black colored birds, averaging about 6.5 inches in length. Actually, it is only the male that is black, and only partly so. Its all-black lower body is capped with a rich brown head.
The female is so different that it almost looks unrelated to the male. It is mousy gray all over. Both males and females have heavy conical bills similar to that of a finch's and uptilted tails.
Don't expect to find immature cowbirds with the adults. Females lay their eggs in other birds' nests. So the young are always raised by foster parents. The young resemble the female but have faintly colored breast streaks. Larger than the other nestlings, they are often observed loudly begging for food as they perch with their step-siblings.
Red-winged blackbirds
A bit larger than the cowbird and slightly smaller than a robin, this bird of the marshes, meadows and fields is unmistakable. Red-wings are thought to be among the most numerous of all species in North America. Their territorial call, ``kong ka ree,'' and bright red shoulders call attention to these birds.
The males have scarlet epaulets at the bend of their wings. At the rest the red is concealed, but one can see yellow margins along the red patches. The females and immature birds are brownish in color with well-defined striping below.
Grackels
These blue-jay sized birds are the giants among the blackbirds. Their iridescent colors of purple, violet, bronze and green give them a jewel-like appearance. This, and a long keel-shaped tail, separates them from other blackbirds. The young have brown eyes, but as adults their eyes turn a distinctive bright golden yellow color.
Starlings
While not related to our blackbirds, starling are dark colored birds that are often grouped with them. They are about the size of our red-wings and have short tails and chunky bodies. Their bodies are iridescent black with a gleaming purple and green gloss during the summer months. This and their bright yellow bill make them rather attractive during their breeding season. In the winter their plumage is speckled with white and tan and gives them a rather drab appearance.
Like some of our blackbirds, starling gather in enormous numbers to roost. They tend to be bullies around nests and will chase smaller birds away from suitable nest sites, often competing with bluebirds, and winning.
Because females and immature birds are rather dull in color and nondescript it can be confusing at first to tell them all apart. First learn how to identify the males of a given species. Learn its characteristics and habits. Once these birds become familiar it is easier to pick out the females and their young.
The birds that I have mentioned all come to feeders. This provides an ideal opportunity to observe them close-at-hand and recognize their differences and similarities.
Upon observing these birds for a period of time it will soon become easy to identify the different black colored birds as they fly by!
Patricia Held is a Bedford County free-lance writer and author specializing in natural history.
Patricia Held will respond to readers' questions on the plant and animal wildlife in the region. Mail inquiries to: Patricia Held, P.O. Box 65, Goode, Va. 24556.
by CNB