Birding at MOSI Outside: Red-Winged Blackbird

Although the main wildlife attraction at MOSI Outside is butterflies, our gardens are also full of birds. It's not surprising - when creating a wildlife habitat for one species, you're creating good habitat for all species. Our grounds are full of tall trees and dense shrubs for cover, and we have a wonderful feeder just outside the Flight Encounter exhibit that draws plenty of these birds out into the open. In the fall, one species we start to notice is the Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), which focuses its diet on insects in the summer but switches to seeds and grains for the winter.

The Red-Winged Blackbird is one of the most common and easily recognizable birds in the U.S. The red flash from the adult male's wing is a dead giveaway, and the familiar trilling song is unmistakable.  It can be seen just about anywhere in the country, especially around marshes and other wetlands. In the winter, Red-Winged Blackbirds gather in enormous flocks along with other gregarious species like starlings. These birds roost together at night by the thousands and even millions, depending on the area, and spread out during the day to forage.

At a bird feeder, Red-Winged Blackbirds are drawn to both millet and cracked corn. You'll find these in most seed mixes, and some people consider them undesirable "filler", but Red-Winged Blackbirds will happily devour them. In open fields, blackbirds glean the corn and other grains left behind after a harvest, so these "fillers" are actually an important part of their natural diet.

If you're interested in birding, MOSI Outside is a great place to be. Birds of all sizes, from tiny Carolina Wrens to huge Wood Storks, have been sighted on the grounds. Have you been birding at MOSI Outside? We'd love to hear about your sightings - drop by our Facebook page or leave a comment below!