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Blackbird
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(Agelaius phoeniceus)
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Family: Orioles and Blackbirds
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Top Products From BirdStoppers To Repel Blackbirds:
BirdX Peller Pro Programmable Species-Specific Bird Repeller
Super BirdXPeller Pro Programmable Species-Specific Bird Repeller
Ultrason X: First-ever ultrasonic repeller for exteriors
BirdShield: Biodegradable Food-Grade Spray Repellent for Crops
Terror Eyes: "Moving Eye" Holographic Repeller
Irri-Tape: Holographic iridescent distraction foil to drive away birds
Stainless Steel SPIKES Needle Strips: Eliminates Roosting Surfaces
BirdNet: Seals Entries and Blocks Access to Convenient Roosts
Description:
The male Red-winged Blackbird is black with bright red shoulder patches. The female and young are heavily streaked with dusky brown. Red-winged Blackbirds do not completely attain full adult plumage until their third year. As migratory birds, red-winged blackbirds share many characteristics with related species. They are strong fliers that will often migrate in flocks of a thousand or more. Roosting is often communal, resulting in large, centralized populations.
Damage:
As one of the most common, widespread, and numerous birds in North America, little is done to protect red-winged blackbirds from the effects of habitat loss and urbanization. Despite their consumption of the seeds of unwanted weed pests, red-wing blackbirds have been known to cause great agricultural damage due to their colonial roosting habits and taste for agricultural products. Red-winged blackbirds often open the husks of developing corn stalks to feed on corn kernels. They are also known to feed on rice paddies and sunflower seeds. This consumption of ripening crops has lead many agriculturalists to employ extremely effective and often inhumane tactics in battling red-winged blackbird populations. These tactics include the frequent use of traps, poisons, and Avitol, a chemical agent that causes birds to behave in abnormal ways. Surfactants, or wetting agents, have also caused considerable damage to red-winged blackbirds. These detergents break down the waterproofing properties of the blackbird's feathers making them extremely vulnerable to low temperatures. Because of the long history of human-blackbird conflict and their continued threat to agricultural initiatives many of these techniques are used to this day. Less harmful and humane methods of red-winged blackbird control are listed below.
How To Control Infestations:
There are numerous products and techniques available to combat nuisance blackbirds. Noisemaker units such as the BirdXPeller Pro and Super BirdXPeller Pro Sonic Repellers units emit natural distress calls and frightening sounds plus visual scare products like Terror Eyes and Irri-Tape visual deterrents. If they are too entrenched to be scared away, exclusion using BirdNet netting or Bird-Shield biodegradable food and crop spray may prove effective. Traditional roost inhibitors like BirdSpikes for ledges and sills is another option.
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Call:
Gurgling reedy konk-la-ree or gurr-ga-leee.
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FAST FACTS
Height/Weight:
5" - 9" / 2.3 oz.
Life Span:
2-3 years in wild
Flight Speed:
20-35 mph"
Food:
Insects, small fruits, seeds, waste grain and small aquatic life
Habitat:
Marshes, swamps, wet and dry meadows, and pastures.
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