A sure sign of spring is the appearance of the male red-winged blackbird with his bright red shoulder patches and his distinctive loud, ringing “ok-a-lee” song that ends in a trill.

The dark brown female lays 3-5 blue-green eggs in a woven cup that is often attached to cattails, wetland lupine or tall grasses. They have one to three or more broods per season. The males sometimes mate with several females and aggressively defend their territory. In the event that a snake or other predator attacks a nest of fledglings, the red-wings arrive en masse to defend their young. Anyone who ventures into red-wing nesting areas must be prepared for aerial bombardment!

Red-wings are often considered pests, but they benefit farmers and gardeners by consuming large numbers of grub worms, caterpillars and other larvae.

The red-wing’s primary habitat is marshes where they prefer cattails, tall weeds, and even blackberry tangles, surrounded by open meadows and fields. They range from sub-arctic Canada to Central America and Cuba.

In Leavenworth, red-winged blackbirds can be observed on Blackbird Island or in the marshy areas along Ranger Road from March through September.