dull gray color and has a streaked chestStan’s Notes: Member of the blackbird family. Of approximately 750 species of parasitic birds worldwide, this is the only parasitic bird in New Hampshire and Vermont, laying eggs in host birds’ nests, leaving others to raise its young. Cowbirds are known to have laid eggs in the nests of over 200 species of birds. Some birds reject cowbird eggs, but most will incubate them and raise the young, even to the exclusion of their own. Look for warblers and other birds feeding young birds twice their own size.
winter
breeding
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
YEAR-ROUND
| Size: | 7½" (19 cm) |
| Male: | Gray-to-black bird with white speckles in fall and winter. Shiny purple black during spring and summer. Long, pointed yellow bill in spring turns gray in fall. Short tail. |
| Female: | same as male |
| Juvenile: | similar to adult, gray brown in color with a streaked chest |
| Nest: | cavity; male and female line cavity; 2 broods per year |
| Eggs: | 4-6; bluish with brown markings |
| Incubation: | 12-14 days; female and male incubate |
| Fledging: | 18-20 days; female and male feed young |
| Migration: | non-migrator to partial; some will move to southern states |
| Food: | insects, seeds, fruit; will come to seed and suet feeders |
| Compare: | Similar to Common Grackle, but lacks its long tail. The male Brown-headed Cowbird is the same size, but it has a brown head and longer tail. |
Stan’s Notes: A great songster, this bird can mimic other birds and sounds. Often displaces woodpeckers, chickadees and other cavity-nesting birds. Can be very aggressive and destroy eggs or young of other birds. Jaws are designed to be the most powerful when opening; the birds can pry crevices apart to locate hidden insects. Bill changes color with the seasons: yellow in spring, gray in autumn. Gathers in the hundreds in autumn. Not a native bird, it was introduced to New York City in 1890-91 from Europe.
male
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
YEAR-ROUND
SUMMER
| Size: | 8½" (22 cm) |
| Male: | Jet-black bird with red and yellow shoulder patches on upper wings. Pointed black bill. |
| Female: | heavily streaked brown bird with a pointed brown bill and white eyebrows |
| Juvenile: | same as female |
| Nest: | cup; female builds; 2-3 broods per year |
| Eggs: | 3-4; bluish green with brown markings |
| Incubation: | 10-12 days; female incubates |
| Fledging: | 11-14 days; female and male feed young |
| Migration: | complete, to southeastern New Hampshire, southern states, Mexico and Central America |
| Food: | seeds, insects; will come to seed feeders |
| Compare: | Slightly larger than the male Brown-headed Cowbird, but is less iridescent and lacks the Cowbird’s brown head. Differs from all other blackbirds due to the red and yellow patches on its wings (epaulets). |
Stan’s Notes: One of the most widespread and numerous birds in New Hampshire and Vermont. It’s a sure sign of spring when these birds return to the marshes. Flocks with as many as 10,000 birds have been reported. Males arrive before females and defend their territories by singing from the top of surrounding vegetation. Male repeats his call from cattail tops while showing off his red and yellow wing bars (epaulets). Female chooses a mate and often nests over shallow water in thick stands of cattails. Can be aggressive when defending the nest. Feeds mostly on seeds in fall and spring, switching to insects in summer.
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
YEAR-ROUND
SUMMER
| Size: | 11-13" (28-33 cm) |
| Male: | Large black bird with an iridescent blue black head, a purple brown body, long black tail, long thin bill and bright golden eyes. |
| Female: | similar to male, only duller and smaller |
| Juvenile: | similar to female |
| Nest: | cup; female builds; 2 broods per year |
| Eggs: | 4-5; greenish white with brown markings |
| Incubation: | 13-14 days; female incubates |
| Fledging: | 16-20 days; female and male feed young |
| Migration: | complete to partial migrator in New Hamp-shire and Vermont; moves around in search of food |
| Food: | fruit, seeds, insects; comes to seed feeders |
| Compare: | European Starling is much smaller with a speckled appearance, and has a yellow bill during breeding season. Male Red-winged Blackbird has red and yellow wing markings (epaulets). |
Stan’s Notes: Usually nests in small colonies of up to 75 pairs but travels with other blackbird species in large flocks. Known to feed in farmers’ fields. The common name is derived from the Latin word graculus, meaning “to cough,” for its loud raspy call. Male holds its tail in a vertical keel-like position during flight. The flight pattern is usually level, as opposed to an undulating up-and-down movement. Unlike most birds, it has larger muscles for opening the mouth (rather than for closing it) and prying crevices apart to locate
