Euphagus cyanocephalus
male
Brewer’s Blackbird is a familiar suburban bird in the west of the continent. The sexes are dissimilar. Summer adult males have black plumage but, in good light, the head has a purple sheen and the back, wings, and breast have a greenish-blue sheen. The bill is slender and the eye has a pale iris. Winter adult males have brownish margins to their black feathers; these wear off by early spring. Adult females have dark gray-brown body plumage and a subtly darker tail and wings. In most individuals, the eye has a dark iris. Immatures are similar to their respective winter adults.
Brewer’s Blackbird is a year-round resident in the middle of its extensive western range. In the breeding season, the range expands north and east; in the fall, these birds migrate south, and the winter range covers southern and southeastern U.S.A. and Central America. The species range is, to a degree, linked to environments altered by man, namely farmland and suburban developments.
female
male
FACT FILE
LENGTH 9 in (23 cm)
FOOD Invertebrates, seeds, and berries
HABITAT Open country, farmland, and parks
STATUS Widespread and common. Resident in the center of its range; summer and winter visitor elsewhere
VOICE Song comprises harsh, squeaky whistles. Call comprises tchuk notes
