![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red-winged-blackbird-7467b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"red-winged-blackbird-7467b-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nTwo days ago the behavior of male Red-winged Blackbirds at Farmington Bay WMA changed suddenly and dramatically. Compared to the day before it was almost like someone flipped a switch.<\/p>\n
Red-winged Blackbirds are year-round residents of northern Utah and during winter the males sing (call) rather unenthusiastically when they sing at all. During winter their singing is not accompanied by the distinctive visual display of the males that is so conspicuous during breeding season. And since the males aren’t singing on territory they’re typically difficult to approach.<\/p>\n
But during the breeding season, which begins early for them, their singing becomes much more enthusiastic and persistent and it’s accompanied by the highly conspicuous “Song Spread visual display” the males are so well-known for.<\/p>\n
While I was at Farmington Bay WMA three mornings ago (Jan 31) the males were still in pre-breeding season mode. Their singing was unenthusiastic, not a single time did I see a visual display and they were very skittish and difficult to approach. Even though I tried repeatedly I never got close enough to a blackbird, singing or not, for decent photos.<\/p>\n
But 24 hours later, on the morning of Feb 1, all that had changed.<\/p>\n
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1\/3200, f\/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Many of the males were persistently singing on territory, they were displaying and they were easy to approach. Of the five times I attempted to approach a singing and displaying male I never spooked a single one. In 4 of the 5 cases I left the bird before he left me. The 5th bird was chased off by another male blackbird.<\/p>\n This one was singing and displaying atop a tree near the entrance to the refuge.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/4000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n And I found this guy singing and displaying on the grounds of the Eccles Wildlife Education center, adjacent to the refuge proper.<\/p>\n Males arrive on and establish breeding territories before females show up and I’ve yet to notice females so I believe the males are displaying as they attempt to establish territories. These behaviors should pick up dramatically as soon as the females arrive at the breeding sites.<\/p>\n I’m looking forward to it, especially after a brutal winter like we’ve been having.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Note: <\/em><\/p>\n Bird behaviors can be influenced by weather so some readers may wonder if the behavioral differences I noticed were due to the second day being nice spring-like weather and the first day being more winter-like. But weather-wise, these two mornings were darn close to identical. Skies were sunny, temps were in the teens and there was no wind to speak of on both mornings.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Two days ago the behavior of male Red-winged Blackbirds at Farmington Bay WMA changed suddenly and dramatically. Compared to the day before it was almost like someone flipped a switch. (2 photos)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red-winged-blackbird-7745-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"red-winged-blackbird-7745-ron-dudley\\"")
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