If you're a birder, you'll know what a life list is. It's basically a list of all the bird species one has observed and positively ID'd in one's lifetime. This blog is a record of my "critter" life list (mostly of birds), including photos I've taken over the years, some of the actual lifer if I was lucky enough to get the shot. Don't expect National Geographic quality stuff here, just the work of an amateur photog who loves to trudge out into nature.

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor)

5/4/03 Gorman Post Road east to Hwy. 138, Los Angeles County, CA 

11/17/02 Mission Bay, San Diego, San Diego County, CA

LIFE LIST NOTES:

COMMON NAME: Tricolor Blackbird

SPECIES: Agelaius tricolor

FAMILY: Icteridae (Blackbirds and allies)

LIFE LIST DATE11/17/2002

LOCATION: About a dozen on lawn near parking lot at Mission Bay, San Diego, San Diego County, CA

From Kaufman Focus Guide-Birds of North America:

HABITAT/BEHAVIOR: Mostly a California specialty. Even there, usually harder to find than its cousin the Red-wing, but when found, it is often in large numbers. Tricolored's are localized but very social, nesting in dense colonies and traveling in tight flocks. 

IDENTIFYING MARKS: 9"; very similar to Red-winged blackbird. Male's shoulder patch deeper red with white (not yellow) border (border can look whitish on faded male Red-wings in late summer).

VOICE: Nasal awnk-krr-awnngk, harsher than Red-wing's.

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