![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7xdtutnB9QrTR1Kbo80XWKO_IpbUKTIY9w-M2nic_rAnlSr_nlHuYfEqaburQkyeLNXns0_KtzYAT-xHINLpWB4Oyvn_MD0rHRfQggqKz_RHj6lR9qbcgWNXfcuNTkBnMRRL3uQKpUy_/s400/red-winged+blackbird.jpg)
My family and friends all know of my nerdy hobby of birding. One of the frequent questions I get is, "There is this black bird I keep seeing. What is it?" My father-in-law, who introduced me to birding, loves the refrain "A black bird is not just a blackbird." So here are few quick identification tips to help you figure out what that black bird is.
Male Red-winged Blackbirds have that distinctive red shoulder patch with a yellow line. Their eyes are black too. There is no irridescence (color changes due to light reflecting off the feathers) on the Red-wings. Females don't look anything like the males. They look like a large streaky sparrow as shown in the picture below. Red-winged Blackbirds love water areas with lots of cattails and reeds.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIN-2RpVSUGTOXvfC_K5KZmN4H1rtuObdZuAcO2oKu0uo0oT94IkGhrw1pSDMvYEylUBFnwoGoHhomBeoSyevwwCWdfIlw-OU8F0hsgA0gTAqTCKZT5cGzsXDG-8BHNmxhc0mKy-B2K27/s400/red-winged+blackbird+female.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQPE4fcql8AX7EwRTuEnIHWa8ilXRjm9GKlUxO9ekqupgT-1t6kwDnWJ-xzD5vbiDmW6frJsWIk4lKh99C9Oe_4-hJ_6B8y-Ii0NeVyBPF193D2_1n6cuTgJoN6klmyEn_9vYb0VVAZtc/s400/Yellow-headed+blackbird.jpg)
Brewer's Blackbirds are very irridescent with blue and green tones reflecting off their shiny black feathers. The main thing to look for in identifying them is that distinctive yellow-white eye. I often see them feeding along the edge of Highway 55 during the Spring and Summer.
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![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1QThZN4uOVg57wUk4Fq9GafS2eZh9DaEDKdZZuKmYRnhXDR9pmfkaIqsmLKDReOX5998KlL2pUZR7qhLp8GI__ew3FXxE9_5GektLT8ERaG4uxPVPPueBO4YxYACuep0RWlej1U6aklG/s400/brown-headed-cowbird.jpg)
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