By Tony Gazso, Interpretive Naturalist

They’re loud and brash, with flocks sometimes numbering in the hundreds or thousands–blackbirds. The blackbird family is actually quite diverse and colorful. Taxonomically, any bird within the family Icteridae are considered blackbirds. This family is widespread throughout the Americas and a number of blackbird species call northeast Ohio home for at least part of the year. Let’s take a look at some of these blackbirds–you may be surprised by some of the species mentioned.
 
Red-winged blackbird 
The prototypical blackbird, the red-winged blackbird is one we’re probably all familiar with. Black birds with bright red and yellow patches on their shoulders, these birds frequent marshy wet areas and their loud "konk-a-ree" song is one of the most well-known sounds of summer. One of the earliest migrants to return to our area, red-winged blackbirds show up in early March and they can be found in every one of your parks.

Red-winged blackbird

Common Grackle
Another common blackbird is the fairly large common grackle. Known for their iridescent blue and purple plumage, grackles return to our region in early spring and can be found in virtually every habitat. Loud birds with long, keeled tails, grackles seems to do what they want, when they want. 

Common grackle

Rusty Blackbird
Getting its name from its winter plumage that has patches of rusty color, the rusty blackbird loves muddy wet patches. Unfortunately, the rusty blackbird is one of the fastest declining birds in North America and scientists are unsure as to why.

Rusty blackbird

Baltimore Oriole
That’s right, these brightly-colored birds are in the blackbird family. Unlike the previous blackbirds listed who all have somewhat metallic-sounding calls, orioles have loud beautiful songs. These bright orange and black birds love fruit and nectar, and will often visit your backyard if you leave out orange slices or grape jelly.

Baltimore oriole

Orchard Oriole
The Baltimore oriole’s dark orange cousin, the orchard oriole has many of the same habits. Orchard orioles also have one of the shortest nesting seasons in our region; they typicall arrive in May and leave in July.

Orchard oriole

Eastern Meadowlark
Another blackbird that may surprise you is the eastern meadowlark. Looking more like a large fat sparrow with a yellow belly, this large blackbird loves grasslands. In tall grass, meadowlarks are often heard well before they’re seen but occasionally they will sit atop a high perch and sing. Look (and listen) for them in the large grass field at Chagrin River Park.

Eastern meadowlark

As you can see, just because some birds are in the same taxonomic family, that doesn’t mean they’re all identical. Blackbirds are one of the most diverse families of birds and have developed a wide array of plumage, vocalizations, and habits. In addition, they occupy habitats ranging from temperate grassland to tropical rainforest and have evolved to eat a large variety of food. So next time you’re out enjoying a walk, remember that the species you see (whether it be birds, mammals, or plants) are probably more closely connected than you ever realized.