Rusty Blackbird
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| Euphagus carolinus (Statius Muller,, 1776) |
The Rusty Blackbird, Euphagus carolinus, is a medium-sized blackbird.
Adults have a pointed bill and a pale yellow eye. They have black plumage; the female is greyer. "Rusty" refers to the brownish winter plumage. They resemble the western member of the same genus, the Brewer's Blackbird; however, this bird has a longer bill and the male's head is iridescent green.
Their breeding habitat is wet temperate coniferous forests and muskeg across Canada and Alaska. The cup nest is located in a tree or dense shrub, usually over water.
These birds migrate to the southeastern United States.
They forage on wet ground or in shallow water, mainly eating seeds and insects. They feed in flocks during migration, often joining other blackbirds.
The song resembles the grating of a rusty hinge.