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Red-winged Blackbird

Sir David Attenborough presents the North American red-winged blackbird.

Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.

Sir David Attenborough presents the North American red-winged blackbird. The arrival of spring in the USA is heralded by the unmistakable "conk-ra-lee" call of the red-winged blackbird. The male blackbirds, who are un-related to the European blackbird, flutter their red and yellow wing-patches like regimental badges to announce their territories. The numbers of Red-winged blackbirds has increased spectacularly in the mid 20th century as more land was converted to growing crops on which the birds feed. Today at a winter roost hundreds of thousands, even millions of birds darken the skies over the plantations or marshes in which they will spend the night - a loud and unforgettable spectacle.

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1 minute

Last on

Sun 21 Aug 2022 08:58

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Webpage image courtesy of David Tipling / naturepl.com.

NPL Ref Β© David Tipling / naturepl.com

Broadcasts

  • Mon 8 Sep 2014 05:58
  • Fri 18 Sep 2015 05:58
  • Wed 26 Oct 2016 05:58
  • Fri 18 Sep 2020 05:58
  • Sun 21 Aug 2022 08:58

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