Yellow-headed Blackbird

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

The Yellow-headed Blackbird is a striking bird with a bright yellow head and a black body. They love to sing and can often be found near wetlands, making their cheerful sounds a delight to hear.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Yellow-headed Blackbird has a striking appearance, with males sporting an entirely black body, a bright yellow head and chest, and a distinct white patch on the wing. Females are duller, brownish-black with a yellow wash on the face and throat, and streaked underparts.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderPasseriformesFamilyIcteridaeGenusXanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Interesting facts

Male Yellow-headed Blackbirds fiercely defend their territory by puffing up their yellow feathers!

Their loud, raspy call sometimes sounds like a rusty gate opening!

These birds often nest in colonies with hundreds of other blackbirds!

Yellow-headed Blackbirds will sometimes steal nesting materials from other bird species!

Special abilities

Yellow-headed Blackbirds can build intricate cup nests because of their weaving skills, anchoring them to marsh plants.

This bird has a unique, reedy call that helps them communicate and attract mates within their large breeding colonies.

Yellow-headed Blackbirds can expertly forage for insects in marsh vegetation and fields, providing food for their young.

Measurements & details

Length: 21-26 cm
Wingspan: 40-45 cm
Weight: 0.038-0.075 kg
Lifespan: 6-8 years
Top Speed: 50 km/h
Clutch Size: 2-6
Incubation: 10-13 days
Migration Distance: 3000 km

Diet & Feeding

These birds munch on juicy insects and tasty seeds found in their marshy homes!

Age differences: Nestlings are fed almost exclusively insects, while adults have a broader diet of insects and seeds.

Primary Foods

grasshoppers
dragonflies
beetles
caterpillars
corn
weed seeds

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

Adults and fledglings can be prey.

eaten by

Common Garter Snake

Thamnophis sirtalis

Nests and young are vulnerable.

shelters

Broadleaf Cattail

Typha latifolia

Nests are often built within dense cattail stands.

eats

Common Green Darner

Anax junius

Forages for dragonfly larvae and adults.

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.