Yellow-headed Blackbird
(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Description |
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Size |
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8″ to 11″ in length 15″ wingspan |
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Voice |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Cattail marshes, sloughs |
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Biology |
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Migration |
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Early April to mid-May and mid-August to mid-November |
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Nesting |
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Food |
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Distribution |
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Occurrence |
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Common migrant and breeder |
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Maps |
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The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map |
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Taxonomy |
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| Class | Aves (birds) | ||
Order |
Passeriformes (perching birds) | ||
Family |
Icteridae (New World blackbirds and orioles) | ||
Genus |
Xanthocephalus (yellow-headed blackbirds) | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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Synonyms |
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Visitor Photos |
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Lynn Rubey |
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| A female Yellow-Headed Blackbird in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge foraging where a thicket was cut out to help restore the refuge to native plants that they were crowding out. |  |
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| A femal Yellow-Headed Blackbird Side view foraging in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. |  |
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| A Yellow-headed Blackbird in flight landing on a reed in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. The white wing patch is sometimes only visible during flight, in this photo you can clearly see it on one wing. |  |
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They were both in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. I took a hike down one of the gated roads in the refuge, the females seem to favor the middle of the reeds and closer to the ground, this is even slid down the reeds to the ground. |
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| Male Yellow-headed Blackbird |  |
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| Female Yellow-headed Blackbird. |  |
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Dan W. Andree |
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Yellow-headed Blackbird It was a rather cool and overcast day when I noticed this Yellow-headed Blackbird perched in some reeds at a pond in rural Norman co. Mn… Seemed to make the day a little brighter. |
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Bill Reynolds |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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Yellow-headed Blackbird |
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Yellow-headed Blackbird |
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Yellow-headed Blackbird |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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| Yellow-headed Blackbird in Yellowstone National Park screenshot |
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About
Uploaded on Jan 27, 2011 The Yellow-headed Blackbird (xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) is a North American bird and forages in the marsh, in fields or on the ground; they sometimes catch insects in flight. They mainly eat seeds and insects. Their main method of foraging is to push their bill into the ground or a food item and then force their bill, as well as the substrate, open. Outside of the nesting period, they often feed in flocks, often with other blackbirds. This bird's song resembles the grating of a rusty hinge. During the summer, this bird migrates north to the west-central portions of Canada and the United States. During the winter, it can be found from California to Texas as well as in Mexico and casually in Costa Rica. Xanthocephalus is een geslacht van zangvogels uit de familie troepialen (Icteridae). Broadcast format available at: http://www.stockshot.nl/ |
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| Calls of the Yellow-headed Blackbird Wandering Sole TV |
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About
Published on May 14, 2012 Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus A male yellow-headed blackbird singing at Elizabeth Lake, British Columbia. The longer clip shows in the background how much bird activity there is at the lake. It is a special place to view birds and other wildlife. The call of the yellow-headed blackbird has been described as sounding like the grating of a rusty hinge! |
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| Yellow-headed Blackbird (Icteridae: Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) Male Carl Barrentine |
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About
Uploaded on Jun 29, 2009 Photographed at Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (26 June 2009). |
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| Yellow-headed Blackbird (Icteridae: Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) Singing Male Carl Barrentine |
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About
Published on May 4, 2012 Photographed at the Kellys Slough NWR, North Dakota (04 May 2012). |
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| Yellow-headed Blackbird Dan Sorochan |
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About
Uploaded on Jun 21, 2010 Canon 7D, EF500mm |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this bird. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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| Wendy Johnson 4/23/2023 |
Location: Elba, Nebraska these are noisy birds |
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| Richard Sherry 5/31/2021 |
Location: Pelican lake. Breezy Point Minnesota Multiple birds along the lake shore. Really nice to see again. |
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| Krista 5/17/2021 |
Location: Grand Marais Harbor, Cook County Minnesota |
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| Lynn Rubey 6/11/2019 |
Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge A female Yellow-Headed Blackbird in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge foraging where a thicket was cut out to help restore the refuge to native plants that they were crowding out. |
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| Lynn Rubey 6/10/2019 |
Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge A Yellow-headed Blackbird in flight landing on a reed in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. The white wing patch is sometimes only visible during flight, in this photo you can clearly see it on one wing. |
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| Lynn Rubey 5/22/2019 |
Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge !. Male Yellow-headed Blackbird 2. Female Yellow-headed Blackbird. They were both in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge I took a hike down one of the gated roads in the refuge, the females seem to favor the middle of the reeds and closer to the ground, this is even slid down the reeds to the ground. |
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| Dan W. Andree 5/1/2018 |
Location: rural Norman co. Mn It was a rather cool and overcast day when I noticed this Yellow-headed Blackbird perched in some reeds at a pond in rural Norman co. Mn… Seemed to make the day a little brighter. |
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| Bill Reynolds 3/21/2014 |
Location: This image was taken just outside the boundaries of the Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, Marshall Co. MN He was a bit too far off for my lens that day and the was too much water between to get any closer. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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