Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus, the Yellow-headed Blackbird, is an unmistakable avian jewel of North American wetlands, renowned for the male's striking black plumage contrasting with a vibrant yellow head and breast, and prominent white wing patches. Measuring 21-26 cm (8.3-10.2 in) long with a wingspan of 40-44 cm (15.7-17.3 in) and weighing 50-80g, it stands as a moderately sized member of the Icteridae family, closely related to other New World blackbirds and orioles. Females, though dulle...
Primarily inhabits freshwater marshes and wetlands with emergent vegetation such as cattails and bulrushes, but also forages in nearby grasslands and agricultural fields. Typically found in low-elevation areas.
The Yellow-headed Blackbird's diet is omnivorous and seasonal, primarily consisting of insects like dragonflies, beetles, and grasshoppers during the breeding season, supplemented by various seeds, especially grains like corn and wheat, outside of nesting periods. They forage by gleaning from veg...
Yellow-headed Blackbirds are highly social and diurnal, often forming immense, noisy communal roosts outside the breeding season, sometimes mixed with Red-winged Blackbirds. During the breeding season, males establish and fiercely defend small territories within dense marsh colonies, often arrivi...
The Yellow-headed Blackbird breeds across a vast expanse of western and central North America, primarily in the prairie provinces of Canada south through the Great Plains of the United States. Its breeding range extends westward to include marshlands in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New ...
Least Concern
- The male Yellow-headed Blackbird's song is famously described as sounding like a rusty gate creaking open or a bird choking, a truly unique vocalization in the avian world. - Males are highly polygynous, often mating with 2 to 6 females within their defended territory in a breeding season. - Ne...