Yellow-Headed Blackbird
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
Closely related to meadowlarks, the Yellow-Headed Blackbird breeds in reedy marshes over much of the western and north central USA. These highly migratory birds spend summers in North America from the Great Lakes into Canada’s Prairie Provinces, and west to central Washington, Oregon, eastern California, Nevada, and most western USA, including the northern Mississippi Valley. When winter approaches, most of these birds head south into Mexico, while some will stay in southwestern USA, just north of the border.
Today, science considers the Yellow-Headed Blackbird monotypic (i.e. no subspecies are recognised).
I’ve enjoyed meeting these birds in the western USA during my travels. I usually find them in cattail marshes, though in Arizona I’ve found them at feedlots and freshly tilled agricultural fields.
During the 2021 spring migration in south Texas, it was my pleasure to catch flocks of Yellow-Headed Blackbirds stopping over on South Padre Island on their way north to their breeding grounds.
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: I found both Yellow-Headed and Red-Winged Blackbirds at Lee Metcalf NWR in the Bitterroot Valley near Stevensville, Montana. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:26 15:45 |
|
Location:
Lee Metcalf NWR |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X4959-YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Cibola NWR, South of Blyth, CA. In Arizona near the Colorado River. |
Date Taken: 2004:04:02 14:12 |
|
Location:
Goose Loop |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 |
File Name: JCD_6427YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Cibola NWR, South of Blyth, CA. In Arizona near the Colorado River. |
Date Taken: 2004:04:02 13:45 |
|
Location:
Goose Loop |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/9.0, 1/125 |
File Name: JCD_6376YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Cibola NWR, South of Blyth, CA. In Arizona near the Colorado River. |
Date Taken: 2004:04:02 11:51 |
|
Location:
Goose Loop |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 |
File Name: JCD_6227YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Near the feed lot outside of Red Rock, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2008:11:29 13:11 |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/640 |
File Name: jcd3039YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Bicknell Bottoms south of Bicknell, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:07 16:29 |
|
Location:
Bicknell Bottoms |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X9962-YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Bicknell Bottoms south of Bicknell, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:07 14:46 |
|
Location:
Bicknell Bottoms |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: D3X9826-YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Bicknell Bottoms south of Bicknell, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:08 14:26 |
|
Location:
Bicknell Bottoms |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X0237-YellowHeadedBlackBird-Female |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Male bird on breeding grounds at the Visitor Center on the north edge of Jackson, Wyoming. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:16 18:56 |
|
Location:
Jackson Visitor Center |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X2941-YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: At the Visitor Center on the north edge of Jackson, Wyoming. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:16 11:56 |
|
Location:
Jackson Visitor Center |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X2785-YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Male bird on breeding grounds at the Visitor Center on the north edge of Jackson, Wyoming. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:16 11:56 |
|
Location:
Jackson Visitor Center |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X2783-YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Near the feed lot outside of Red Rock, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2013:08:29 15:18 |
|
Location:
Red Rock |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X2510-YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Cibola NWR in Arizina, south of Blythe, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:11:24 16:19 |
|
Location:
Cibola NWR |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X2154-YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, 17 miles west of Brigham City Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:12 16:57 |
|
Location:
Bear River |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X1709-YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Bicknell Bottoms south of Bicknell, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:08 14:26 |
|
Location:
Bicknell Bottoms |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X0250-YellowHeadedBlackBird-Female |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Dirty Socks Spring at the southern edge of the Owens Lake Basin, between Lone Pine and Olancha. |
Date Taken: 2016:04:20 17:11 |
|
Location:
Dirty Socks Spring |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D727911-YellowHeadedBlackbird |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Dirty Socks Spring at the southern edge of the Owens Lake Basin, between Lone Pine and Olancha. |
Date Taken: 2016:04:20 17:12 |
|
Location:
Dirty Socks Spring |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D727919-YellowHeadedBlackbird |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Dirty Socks Spring at the southern edge of the Owens Lake Basin, between Lone Pine and Olancha. |
Date Taken: 2016:04:20 16:25 |
|
Location:
Dirty Socks Spring |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D727789-YellowHeadedBlackbird |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Near Cottonwood Spring in southern Joshua Tree National Park. Riverside County California. |
Date Taken: 2016:09:29 8:33 |
|
Location:
Cottonwood Spring |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: YellowHeadedBlackBird_D727489-Web |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Near Cottonwood Spring in southern Joshua Tree National Park. Riverside County California. |
Date Taken: 2016:09:29 8:23 |
|
Location:
Cottonwood Spring |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: YellowHeadedBlackBird_D727440-Web |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Near Cottonwood Spring in southern Joshua Tree National Park. Riverside County California. |
Date Taken: 2016:09:29 8:05 |
|
Location:
Cottonwood Spring |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: YellowHeadedBlackBird_D727426-Web |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Dirty Socks Spring at the southern edge of the Owens Lake Basin, between Lone Pine and Olancha. |
Date Taken: 2016:04:20 16:29 |
|
Location:
Dirty Socks Spring |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D727855-YellowHeadedBlackbird |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Dirty Socks Spring at the southern edge of the Owens Lake Basin, between Lone Pine and Olancha. |
Date Taken: 2016:04:20 16:34 |
|
Location:
Dirty Socks Spring |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D727896-YellowHeadedBlackbird |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Yellow-Headed Blackbirds are common in Texas, but this was the first I met here. I had an exceptional day at the SPI Convention Centre. I met three new bird species: Veery, Dickcissel, and Black-Billed Cuckoo. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:15 10:27 |
|
Location:
Convention Center |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: YellowHeadedBlackbird_D5X5311-SPI_ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: The Yellow-Headed Blackbirds showed up Saturday, but there were even more on Sunday. Sunday was the 2nd day of the great warbler fallout, but unlike Saturday’s expedition, the sun shone through to light her subjects. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:18 15:47 |
|
Location:
Convention Center |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: YellowHeadedBlackbird_D5X8559-SPI_ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: The Yellow-Headed Blackbirds showed up Saturday, but there were even more on Sunday. Sunday was the 2nd day of the great warbler fallout, but unlike Saturday’s expedition, the sun shone through to light her subjects. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:18 15:46 |
|
Location:
Convention Center |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: YellowHeadedBlackbird_D5X8552-SPI_ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Some of the Yellow-Headed Blackbirds I met will move on to the north to breed, but some will stick around for the summer. Having finished with the Great Texas Birding Classic on Sunday, I was eager to return to South Padre Island, where I knew Green Herons were raising families at the Bird and Nature Center. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:27 12:50 |
|
Location:
South Padre Island WBC |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1500 |
File Name: YellowHeadedBlackbird_D5X2546_SPI-NatureCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: On the move from south to north with the warblers were these Yellow-Headed Blackbirds. This weekend provided the “perfect storm” for a warbler fallout on South Padre Island; a cold north wind, rain, and a ton of birds trying to head north. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:17 11:18 |
|
Location:
Convention Center |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/125 |
File Name: YellowHeadedBlackbird_D5X6393-SPI_ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Dirty Socks Spring at the southern edge of the Owens Lake Basin, between Lone Pine and Olancha. |
Date Taken: 2016:04:20 17:29 |
|
Location:
Dirty Socks Spring |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D728065-YellowHeadedBlackbird |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Cibola NWR, South of Blyth, CA. In Arizona near the Colorado River. |
Date Taken: 2004:04:02 13:40 |
|
Location:
Goose Loop |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/9.0, 1/100 |
File Name: JCD_6359YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: The Yellow-Headed Blackbirds showed up Saturday, but there were even more on Sunday. Sunday was the 2nd day of the great warbler fallout, but unlike Saturday’s expedition, the sun shone through to light her subjects. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:18 15:46 |
|
Location:
Convention Center |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: YellowHeadedBlackbird_D5X8545-SPI_ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: On the move from south to north with the warblers were these Yellow-Headed Blackbirds. This weekend provided the “perfect storm” for a warbler fallout on South Padre Island; a cold north wind, rain, and a ton of birds trying to head north. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:17 10:09 |
|
Location:
Convention Center |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: YellowHeadedBlackbird_D5X6170-SPI_ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Near Cottonwood Spring in southern Joshua Tree National Park. Riverside County California. |
Date Taken: 2016:09:29 9:06 |
|
Location:
Cottonwood Spring |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: YellowHeadedBlackBird_D727514-Web |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Malheur NWR is in southeastern Oregon, west of Steens Mountains and south of Burns Oregon. Harney County. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:30 7:49 |
|
Location:
Visitor Center |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/8000 |
File Name: YellowHeadedBlackbird_D5X8773-MalheurNWR |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, 17 miles west of Brigham City Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:12 9:56 |
|
Location:
Bear River |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X1782-YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Yellow-Headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) |
|
Description: Bicknell Bottoms south of Bicknell, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:07 14:51 |
|
Location:
Bicknell Bottoms |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X9836-YellowHeadedBlackBird |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Click map markers to reveal further information
