Tricolored Blackbird

Overview

The Tricolored Blackbird is a colonial nesting species largely restricted to California, closely resembling the more widespread Red-winged Blackbird but distinguished by a whitish rather than yellow border along its red shoulder patch. It forms some of the largest and densest breeding colonies of any North American songbird.

• Forms extremely dense breeding colonies, sometimes tens of thousands of birds
• Nearly restricted to California's Central Valley and coastal areas
• Distinguished from the Red-winged Blackbird mainly by shoulder patch border color

Feather Identification

Tricolored Blackbird feathers closely resemble those of the Red-winged Blackbird with one key difference.

• Shoulder patch feathers (male): Bright red bordered by a whitish band, rather than the yellow border seen in Red-winged Blackbirds
• Body feathers (male): Glossy black overall, with a slight blue-green sheen in good light
• Female feathers: Dark grayish-brown, heavily streaked, similar to female Red-winged Blackbirds but often slightly darker overall
• Tail feathers: Plain glossy black, rounded
• The whitish border on the red shoulder patch is the most reliable feature distinguishing male Tricolored Blackbird feathers from Red-winged Blackbird feathers

Plumage, Sex & Age Differences

Adult males are glossy black with a red shoulder patch bordered white. Females are dark brownish-gray overall with heavy streaking, generally darker than female Red-winged Blackbirds. Juveniles resemble females but with softer, less defined streaking. A complete molt occurs after breeding.

Habitat & Range

Tricolored Blackbirds are largely restricted to California, particularly the Central Valley and coastal lowlands, with small numbers in adjacent Oregon, Nevada, and Baja California. They favor freshwater marshes with dense cattail or bulrush growth for nesting, along with nearby agricultural fields and grasslands for foraging. Most populations are largely resident, with some local movement related to breeding colony formation.

Behavior, Voice & Field Notes

Tricolored Blackbirds are highly colonial, nesting in extremely dense aggregations in marsh vegetation, sometimes numbering in the tens of thousands of birds. They forage in flocks on the ground in fields and marshes for insects and seeds. Their calls and songs are similar to the Red-winged Blackbird's but tend to be somewhat more nasal or gurgling.