Red-winged Blackbird sounds the changing of the seasons. You know spring is coming when you begin to hear these noisy fellows. Soon after sunrise the other day this one was making sure every lady in the area knew he was awake and around. 😉

Cresting a small hill the other day I see a large dark mass across the road. It took me a few seconds to realize exactly what it was – a congregation of Red-winged Blackbirds. There were hundreds, probably thousands, of them there. This image only represents about a third of what was on the road and on each side of it. It was pretty nuts. During the winter these birds will gather like this in these massive flocks, oftentimes segregated by sex. In this case, the majority of these were females (brown colored).

The seasons are changing and one sure sign is the singing of these common birds. These birds can be found across much of North America. Here in Colorado they are very common on the plains, usually found near spots with water. Their very distinctive call almost guarantees you will hear them before you see them.

The males, like this one here, are black and have the gorgeous red / orange / yellow accents. Females are brown and quite plain looking. This guy was hanging out near a pond in Thornton, Colorado a couple of days ago making a lot of noise.

If Alfred Hitchcock’s movie ‘The Birds’ gives you nightmares, then these images might not be to your liking. 😉 Taken yesterday in rural Adams County, Colorado, I happened across an incredible number of Red Winged Blackbirds along a dirt road.  They perched on a barbed wire fence for a bit and then took flight on one huge flock – literally blocking the view of the mountains.

During the winter, Blackbirds will gather in these huge congregations, often segregated by sex, and sometimes numbering in the millions.

Feel free to count them if you would like – haha. In the case of these images, the flock was composed mostly of females (the brown colored ones), although there were a few males as well (black).

These birds can be found across much of North America and are very common.  Here in Colorado they are very common on the plains, usually found near spots with water.  Their very distinctive call almost guarantees you will hear them before you see them.

The males, like this one here, are black and have the gorgeous red / orange / yellow accents.  Females are brown and quite plain looking.