Brewer's Blackbird

The Brewer's Blackbird is a medium-sized blackbird.

The Brewer's Blackbird is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) is a medium-sized blackbird. Adults have a pointed bill. Adult males have black plumage; the female is dark grey. The male has a bright yellow eye; the female's is dark. They resemble the eastern member of the same genus, the Rusty Blackbird; however, this bird has a shorter bill and the male's head is iridescent purple. This bird is often mistaken for the Common Grackle but has a shorter tail. More

Brewer's Blackbirds are smaller than Common Grackles, with shorter tails and a shorter, smaller bill. Males are glossier than Rusty Blackbirds, and the species' breeding ranges overlap little. Female Rusty Blackbirds have a yellow eye and are grayer than female Brewer's. Immature and winter male Rusty Blackbirds have rich brown markings on the head, wing, and back. Female Red-winged Blackbirds are much streakier than female Brewer's. European Starlings are shorter, squatter, with shorter tails and more slender beaks. More

Brewer's Blackbirds are colonial nesters that sometimes practice polygamy when a surplus of females are available. Even so, primary pairs are formed. They reunite each spring after spending the winter separately in migrating flocks. This robin-sized blackbird is a common breeding bird in open and semiopen country throughout the western United States and southwestern Canada, ranging east through the northern Great Plains to the western Great Lakes. This blackbird inhabits a variety of scrubby habitats, especially those near water. More

The Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. References - * BirdLife International (2004). Euphagus cyanocephalus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 5 May 2006. More

Brewer's Blackbirds form flocks outside of the breeding season, and may winter in mixed flocks with other blackbirds. They typically forage on the ground and often follow farm machinery, taking advantage of food turned up by plows. back to top Diet - Insects, seeds, berries, and waste grain make up the Brewer's Blackbird's diet. More

A male Brewer's Blackbird, near the UCLA Medical Plaza on Westwood Blvd. 9/14/05 A female Brewer's Blackbird, near the UCLA Medical Plaza on Westwood Blvd. 9/14/05 A male Brewer's Blackbird. Half in the shadows, but oh well. He was in a tree at the Campus Corner Eatery. More

The Brewer's blackbird is attracted to most common landscapes and is quite happy in over watered lawns. It is one of those rare species that is able to take advantage of urbanization. Habitat/ Plant community of the Brewer's Blackbird A brewer's blackbird in flightThe Brewer's Blackbird has adapted well to urban habitats. They especially like the large expanses of lawn and parking lots with lots of dropped scraps. They can often be seen perching on power lines in mass. More

A male Brewer's Blackbird on a willow in Thompson's Reach restoration area. Natural History: This species of blackbird feeds on insects and other invertebrates, as well as seeds and grains. It often takes cover in dense foliage, but also is seen resting on telephone poles and lines. Nests are built in dense foliage, on the ground, or in emergent vegetation in a variety of habitats. Breeding season runs from March to August. More

Brewer's Blackbird on a... Click to show "Brewer's Blackbird" result 16 314 x 250 111 kb This is a public domain image. ? Choose your product... More

Bent Life History for the Brewer's Blackbird - the common name and sub-species reflect the nomenclature in use at the time the description was written. Brewer's Blackbird EUPHAGUS CYANOCEPHALUS (Wagler) Contributed by Laidlaw Williams HABITS At least two proposals have been made to divide this species, using the names E. c. minusculus and K c. aliastus, but neither of these subspecies has been accepted by the A. 0. U. committee on nomenclature. More

Male Brewer's Blackbird, Half Moon Bay, CA, 9 Dec 2005. Figure 1. Distribution of Brewer’s Blackbird. While collecting birds late in his life along the upper Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers in June 1843, John James Audubon took several specimens of a blackbird he believed was new to science. He named it Quiscalus breweri after Thomas Mayo Brewer, a friend who was a Boston physician and ornithologist. More

A shiny blue-green blackbird, the Brewer's Blackbird is common in agricultural and suburban habitats of the West. It has taken advantage of human modifications of the environment to expand its range eastward. Description Medium-sized songbird. Medium-long tail. Bill thin and pointed. Male iridescent black with purple and green highlights female dull gray-brown. Size: 20-25 cm (8-10 in) Wingspan: 37 cm (15 in) Weight: 47-67 g (1.66-2. More

Brewer's Blackbird - Euphagus cyanocephalusThe Brewer's Blackbird is a common sight in the open country of the western U.S., although it has also expanded its range into the Great Lakes area. As with the Common Grackle, they have become accustomed to a human presence, and are a common sight in residential areas. Habitat: Can be found in a variety of open to semi-open habitats, including shrubby fields, riparian areas, farmland, shrubby grasslands, woodland edges, and even along the coastline. More

Breeding Range: During the nesting season, Brewer's blackbird is apparently restricted to the western Dissected Plain, Western Plain and Sandhills physiographic regions. Most records are from west of the 100o W. longitude meridian. Breeding Population: In 1979-1980, the breeding population was estimated at 2,335 breeding pairs. Most of the Brewer's blackbirds we found were in Keith County. Habitat: We found the highest mean nesting densities in lowland forest and in upland native prairie. More

Brewer's Blackbird: Medium-sized blackbird with purple gloss on head and neck and green gloss on body and wings. Eyes are yellow. Follows farm tractors and plows. Forages on ground. Feeds on caterpillars, insects, fruits, seeds and grains. Strong, swift and direct flight with rapidly beating wings. ● Song: "ke-see" ● Foraging & Feeding: Brewer's Blackbird: Eats insects, caterpillars, fruits, and seeds. Forages on the ground; forms large foraging flocks during migration and winter. More