Yellow-headed Blackbird Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Yellow-headed Blackbirds are fairly large blackbirds, with a stout body, a large head, and a long, conical bill.

  Relative Size

  Smaller than a Common Grackle; larger than a Red-winged Blackbird.

  robin-sized

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 8.3-10.2 in (21-26 cm)
    • Weight: 1.6-3.5 oz (44-100 g)
    • Wingspan: 16.5-17.3 in (42-44 cm)

  © Alix d'Entremont / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Males are striking blackbirds with yellow heads and chests, and black bodies with prominent white patches at the bend of the wing. Females and immatures are brown instead of black, with duller yellow heads. Immature males show some white at the bend of the wing, while females don’t.

• Behavior

  Yellow-headed Blackbirds breed in loose colonies, and males mate with several females. During the breeding season, they eat insects and aquatic invertebrates. They form huge flocks in winter, often mixing with other species of blackbirds, and feed on seeds and grains in cultivated fields.
• Habitat

  Yellow-headed Blackbirds breed and roost in freshwater wetlands with dense, emergent vegetation such as cattails. They often forage in fields, typically wintering in large, open agricultural areas.