6/02/2022
Located all over Texas and found nesting in tall lake grasses and cattail reeds,Texas Red Winged Black Birds (Agelaius phoeniceus) dominate.
According to Texas A & M, this bird is “conspicuous” or obvious all over the state.
Adult males gain their red and yellow wing markings on their glossy, black shoulder feathers around the third year of life. Adult breeding males, vocally and aggressively defend their breeding area of about 15 nests. We call this type of breeding behavior polygamous, meaning these adult males are loud and very busy defending many females they mate.
The females, which tend to breed around their second year, are streaked grey-brown in color. Females build their nests around marshes in grass, rushes, sedges, reeds, plant stems, or leaves, and line them with finer materials. Females lay about 4 bluish-green eggs in their nests and hatch the eggs around 11 days.
Both gender of Red Winged Black Birds spend the winter elsewhere and migrate to Texas, which is their principle breeding area.