Red-winged Blackbird, autumn male
Agelaius phoeniceus
Red-winged Blackbird · Constitution Marsh · 17 October 2026
A male Red-winged Blackbird on a lichen-covered branch at Constitution Marsh, against the reds and oranges of October. Red-wings breed in every marsh across North America, and by now most of the Hudson Valley's are gathering into flocks to head south.
The rusty edges to the black feathers are fresh autumn plumage. Over the winter they wear away, and by spring the male is glossy black all over without having moulted a feather, ready to show off the red shoulder patch that is mostly tucked away here.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
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