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Brewer's Blackbird

Euphagus cyanocephalusOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Blackbirds and Orioles (Icteridae)
Brewer's Blackbird Head Illustration

Head

  • Bill Shape: Dagger, All-purpose
  • Eye Color: Brown in fledglings. In males, changes to grayish white then yellow with age; Females brown, infrequently yellow.
  • Head Pattern: Plain
  • Crown Color: Black with purple sheen.
  • Forehead Color: Black with purple sheen.
  • Nape Color: Black with purple sheen.
  • Throat Color: Black with purple sheen.
  • Cere color: No Data
Brewer's Blackbird Body Illustration

Body

  • Length Range: 22-26 cm (8.75-10.25 in)
  • Weight: 68 g (2.4 oz)
  • Size: Size 3. Medium (9 - 16 in)
  • Color: Black
  • Underparts: Black with blue-green sheen.
  • Upperparts: Black with blue-green sheen.
  • Back Pattern: Solid
  • Belly Pattern: Solid
  • Breast Pattern: Solid
Brewer's Blackbird Flight Illustration

Flight

  • Flight Pattern: Strong direct flight with powerful rapid wing beats.
  • Wingspan Range: 36-41 cm (14-16 in)
  • Wing Shape: Rounded-Wings
  • Tail Shape: Fan-shaped Tail
  • Tail Pattern: Solid
  • Upper Tail: Black with blue-green sheen.
  • Under Tail: Black
  • Leg Color: Black
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Family Orioles and Blackbirds (Icteridae)_blue
Species Euphagus cyanocephalus
Length8.75 - 10.25 Inches
Wingspan15 Inches

Brewer's Blackbird

Brewer's Blackbird: Medium-sized blackbird with purple gloss on head and neck and green gloss on body and wings. Eyes are yellow. Follows farm tractors and plows. Forages on ground. Feeds on caterpillars, insects, fruits, seeds and grains. Strong, swift and direct flight with rapidly beating wings.

● Song: "ke-see"

● Foraging & Feeding: Brewer's Blackbird: Eats insects, caterpillars, fruits, and seeds. Forages on the ground; forms large foraging flocks during migration and winter.

● Breeding & nesting: Brewer's Blackbird: Three to seven brown-spotted, light green or gray eggs are laid in a nest made of coarse grass and twigs, reinforced with mud, lined with fine grass and hair, built on the ground or in a tree; nests in loose colonies of up to 30 pairs. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Brewer's Blackbird: Male Rusty Blackbird lacks purple iridescence. Grackles are larger with much longer tails. Cowbirds are smaller with conical bills.

Flight Pattern

Strong direct flight with powerful rapid wing beats.
Brewer's Blackbird Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Brewer's Blackbird: Breeds from British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario south to southern California, New Mexico, and Texas; spends winters as far north as British Columbia and the Carolinas. Preferred habitats include prairies, fields, and farmyards.
BreedingMonogamous, May be polygamous
Population
MigrationNorthern birds migrate
Weight2.4 Ounces