Tricolored Blackbirds

Written by Clark & Jean Moore

There are four bird species called Blackbirds recorded in our listing area – the ubiquitous Brewer’s, the common Red-winged, the seldom seen Yellow-headed and the elusive Tricolored (TRBL). Thanks to the males, the latter three are very well named. Without detailing ages, seasons, molts, basic and alternate plumages, the males are black.

Brewer’s males have a yellow eye, the Yellow-headed males are yellow headed with white primary coverts conspicuous in flight, while the Red-winged male displays a bright red shoulder patch bordered in yellow. However, in central California they lack this edging and are called “bicolored” (both these morphs are present in the TMBC area).

Last spring we received a request from USF&WS to assist in a statewide survey of TRBL’s. Tricolored’s have been noted in several local areas, and do appear on the TMBC checklist. We surveyed 14 possible sites in TMBC’s listing area and found these birds at Meadowbrook Park and Spring, Sawyer Lake, Tehachapi sewer ponds and Lake Jean.

In contrast to the RWBL’s, male Tricolored Blackbirds have red lesser coverts and white median coverts. The females are a bit more difficult to ID – especially in a mixed flock of RWBL’s and TRBL’s. Both have heavily streaked chests, however the TRBL female is much darker with no streaks below the breast. Female RWBL’s have a buffy eyebrow.

A year ago only one pair was spotted at the lower pond in the Sawyer Lake area. On the ball fields at Meadowbrook Park, 17 birds were noted foraging in the grass. Adjacent, at Meadowbrook Spring, two male TRBL’s were seen atop a willow tree. At the sewer pond site, which some 13 years ago had a colony reportedly of 400 birds, 7 males and possibly 12 females were seen. An estimated 40 TRBL’s were observed at Lake Jean.

During the ’05/’06 Tehachapi Christmas Bird Count Jean’s team recorded 143 Tricolored Blackbirds at the sewer ponds. Over the next few months we’ll again survey the above venues trying to get a better read on the Tricolored population of the TMBC listing area.

Good birding – gone birding

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