Red-Wings Over Texas
Agelaius phoeniceus
The Red-Winged Blackbird ranges year round over most of the lower 48 states in the USA, but in summer they can breed as far north as northern Canada and even Alaska. These birds are believed to be the most numerous birds in North America, as well as the most studied. Male birds can have as many as fifteen mates in a season, and will vigorously defend their territory. Wintering flocks of a million birds have been reported.
The Red-Winged Blackbirds I met in mid-March at Aransas NWR were all girls, and no boys insight. I’d forgotten the sexes split into separate groups in winter (bachelors and bachelorettes) until breeding time comes around. By mid-April, when I was in south Texas I started seeing both sexes loosely associated.
This gallery set displays images of the Texan birds I met this spring. To view all 44 images in my collection, visit the <Species Gallery>.

Red-Winged Blackbird(Agelaius phoeniceus) |
Description: The only Red-Winged Blackbirds I saw in camp were male. I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 15:31 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: RedWingedBlackbird_D503071-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Winged Blackbird(Agelaius phoeniceus) |
Description: The only Red-Winged Blackbirds I saw in camp were male. I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 10:51 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: RedWingedBlackbird_D502376-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Winged Blackbird(Agelaius phoeniceus) |
Description: The only Red-Winged Blackbirds I saw in camp were male. I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 10:51 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: RedWingedBlackbird_D502345-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Winged Blackbird(Agelaius phoeniceus) |
Description: The only Red-Winged Blackbirds I saw in camp were male. I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 10:50 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: RedWingedBlackbird_D502311-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Winged Blackbird(Agelaius phoeniceus) |
Description: All the Red-Winged Blackbirds I met in the reserve were male. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 17:34 |
Location:
Atascosa NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: RedwingBlackbird_D505562-Atascosa-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Winged Blackbird(Agelaius phoeniceus) |
Description: All the Red-Winged Blackbirds I met in the reserve were male. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 17:35 |
Location:
Atascosa NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: RedwingBlackbird_D505584-Atascosa-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Winged Blackbird(Agelaius phoeniceus) |
Description: All the Red-Winged Blackbirds I met in the reserve were male. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 16:32 |
Location:
Atascosa NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: RedwingBlackbird_D505096-Atascosa-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Winged Blackbird(Agelaius phoeniceus) |
Description: All the RWBB's I saw at the marsh here, were females. I drove to Aransas NWR late Saturday, but my first serious explorations were on Sunday, when I fell in love with Heron Flats, though my explorations carried me all the way to the "Big Tree" tower. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:15 16:07 |
Location:
Aransas NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/7.1, 1/1000 |
File Name: RedWingedBlackBirds_D501089-Aransas-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Winged Blackbird(Agelaius phoeniceus) |
Description: All the RWBB's I saw at the marsh here, were females. I drove to Aransas NWR late Saturday, but my first serious explorations were on Sunday, when I fell in love with Heron Flats, though my explorations carried me all the way to the "Big Tree" tower. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:15 16:56 |
Location:
Aransas NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/7.1, 1/3200 |
File Name: RedWingedBlackBird_D501215-Aransas-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |

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