Status:
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Threats to the SpeciesThe Tricolored Blackbird is not federally listed as endangered, but it is on the California Department of Fish and Game’s list of bird species of special concern. Their populations are in decline due to habitat loss, their tendency to nest in cropland during harvest, and diversion of water sources from their habitats.
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Range and HabitatRange: The Tricolored Blackbird has a limited range in the Pacific states. It can be found in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Baja California.
Habitat: It inhabits freshwater marshes of cattail or tule, and it forages in fields and often on agricultural land, pastureland, or large lawns. It breeds in the marshes within thick stands of vegetation. It nests in very dense colonies with nests packed closely together. The Tricolored Blackbirds in the Northwest U.S. migrate south for the winter, but California populations do not migrate out of the state. |
Behavior and Species InteractionsPrey: This blackbird consumes a diet of insects and seeds. It relies more heavily on insects during the summer months; this includes caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, spiders, and more. In the fall and winter, these birds eat more seeds, mainly those from grasses and weeds.
The Tricolored Blackbird relies on foraging on the ground and in shrubs and trees to find food. In the nonbreeding season, they often forage in large flocks. |
Life CycleSpring - Early Summer
Populations move to salt marshes near water for breeding and nest in large, dense colonies. Males sing to attract a mate, and females build their nests: a small bowl made from dead vegetation and mud. Females lay three to six eggs. Juveniles leave the nest a few days after hatching but continue to be fed by their parents for some time. Late Summer After the breeding season is over, breeding colonies fly inland in large flocks to open fields and agricultural areas for the remainder of the year. |
Resources
- Hamilton, W. J. 2004. Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor). In The Riparian Bird Conservation Plan:a strategy for reversing the decline of riparian-associated birds in California. California Partners in Flight.
- "Tricolored Blackbird." Audubon. The Audubon Society, 13 Nov. 2014. Web.
- "Tri-colored Blackbird." Birding Information. N.p., n.d. Web.