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Tricolored blackbird        Images © Mark A. Chappell

Tricolored blackbirds are a California specialty, breeding in nomadic colonies that move around the state's wetlands.   They closely resemble red-winged blackbirds, except that the red wing patch in males is darker, and bordered by a broad white edge (slighty buffy when freshly molted, but not rich yellowish as in most red-wings).   Females are darker and more grayish than female red-wings but are hard to differentiate in the field.   These were at a breeding colony at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area, near Riverside, California.   One male was giving numerous wing-flapping displays.   Flying birds are on this page.

  • Canon 10D, 1D4, or 7D2; 500 mm f4 IS lens plus 2X converter or 800 mm IS lens plus 1.4X converter, fill-in flash (2004, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017)