Saturday Morning Special: On Saturday, March 20 from 9 a.m. to noon, stop by and take advantage of our 3 hour sale on hummingbird feeders. Save 15% off the regular prices. Shop early, this special ends at noon. No exceptions!

Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) are among the most abundant birds in North America. The loud conk-la-ree! song of the males and their glossy-black bodies with scarlet wing patches makes them easy to identify in marshes and wetland areas.

Red-winged Blackbirds live year-round in most states of America. Their summer breeding range extends into Canada and Alaska, but the northernmost populations migrate south for the winter.

Intricate nests are built by the females. A site is selected near or above water among thick vegetation with upright stems. Stringy plant material is woven into the upright stalks, followed by wet leaves and a lining of fresh mud. The nest is finished by adding a lining of dry grass. After 3-6 days of construction the nest is completed, and will be home to 3-4 eggs. Females incubate the eggs, which hatch in 11-12 days, and the young fledge in 11-14 days. Females will have two to three broods per season, and will build a new nest for each brood. Nests are commonly found in grassy fields adjacent to water, golf course lakes, park lakes, and along wet roadsides.

Females are smaller than males, and do not have the distinct male coloration. Females have streaky-brown colors, and resemble large sparrows.

Male Red-winged Blackbirds breed with numerous females. In a breeding season a male may breed with 15 different females, and may have five females tending nests in their territories. Males fiercely defend their territories, spending are much as one-quarter of the daylight hours defending nests from intruders. During nesting season they sit high on wires and posts where they can see invaders and sing their songs. They are not afraid to chase off larger animals, as they are commonly seen diving at horses, cattle, and people.

Red-winged Blackbirds are omnivorous, eating primarily insects and fresh berries in the summer and seeds in the winter. During the breeding season they are dispersed, but in fall and winter they form large flocks with other blackbirds and starlings. They will typically congregate in one location to roost at night, and then fly up to 50 miles during the day to feed before returning at night. Large flocks can be damaging to field crops waiting to be harvested, particularly to corn. Flocks of 20,000 birds can descend upon a corn field at the time crops are maturing and tear open husks in search of food. In addition, they leave behind large quantities of manure that are included with the harvested crop and may make it unacceptable for sale. The Missouri Department of Conservation works with farmers and has several strategies for controlling the impact of large flocks of birds on field crops.

The IUCN conservation status of the Red-winged Blackbird is LC (Least Concern). In 1974 there were an estimated 190 million Red-winged Blackbirds in North America, and the numbers are constant to increasing.

The source of the red color on blackbird wings is described in Native American legend. The Chitimacha Indian story is about an Indian who starts a forest fire. A blackbird calls to warn the forest animals of the fire. In order to silence the bird, the Indian throws a shell at the bird, hitting it on the shoulder and causing him to bleed. Poets have written about blackbirds (Tennyson's "The Blackbird" and Stevens' "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird"), and the classic Mother Goose children's poem describes "Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie". This must have been during the nesting season as the poem ends with a bird attack on a human: "The maid was in the garden, Hanging out the clothes, Along came a blackbird, And nipped off her nose."

See YouTube video of a Red-winged Blackbird singing, attacking people, attacking a Turkey Vulture, attacking a park ranger.

Read more about the Red-winged Blackbird at:

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• eNature.com
• US Geological Society
• Missouri Department of Conservation
• Missouri Conservationist

New Products and Special Savings in March!
10% off to e-Newsletter Customers Only!

• Easter decor. We have a number of flags, mailwraps, and indoor décor for the holiday. Save 10% off the regular price of any Easter merchandise.
• Firepots. What a unique item for your porch or patio! These stone or ceramic pots use a liquid fuel to provide a peaceful flame to light your next outdoor event. Save on the pots and the fuel during March.
• Timbuktu Soft Mealworms: A new experience in feeding mealworms that gives you more shelf life than live worms, but is more bird-attractive than the roasted variety. Natural juices are locked in to keep them soft and moist, just like live mealworms

March Birding Question:
How do I keep birds from hitting my windows?
Birds hit windows because they mistake the reflection as open space. When birds strike windows, it is fatal at least half the time. Even if they appear to recover and fly away, many times the injury will eventually claim their life. Prevent window strikes by putting something on the outside of the window to break up the reflection. There are many different styles of decals available, but you could also hang streamers, ribbon, or other noticeable items. In a pinch, you could use a bar of soap to draw a few characters on the window. The important thing to remember is to modify the outside of the window; anything you do on the inside will have little effect.

Free Delivery--Not everyone enjoys getting out to run errands in the cold weather. If you would like to have your seed delivered to your home, give us a call. We'd be happy to help!

Our March Products of the Month are wind chimes. We are all anxious to be spending more time outdoors. Enjoy your backyard more with the melodic sound of quality, hand-tuned wind chimes. Most of ours are made in the USA.

During March, all wind chimes are 15% off the regular price for our e-news subscribers. Print this page as your coupon.

The answer to the December Species Quiz (right picture) is the Fox Sparrow. What is the species in the picture on the left? Answer in the April e-Newsletter.

March Birding News.

March is the beginning of nesting season for most of our songbirds. Listen early in the morning and you will start to hear the chorus of bird songs, which are meant to attract mates for the upcoming season. Habitat is the most crucial element in determining where a species will nest. The important elements of habitat are food, water, shelter, and a place to raise young. Birdfeeders and birdbaths provide the first two, so keep them available, clean, and filled now to enhance your habitat offering. Shelter from predators can best be provided by dense trees and bushes as well as a brush pile. If you are planting this spring, remember that one of the best shelter elements to have in your backyard is an evergreen tree. These are dense and provide year-round shelter for many birds. Nesting places are provided by both birdhouses and by plantings. Most people are surprised to learn that many species do not nest in boxes – instead they choose to nest in open nests in trees and shrubs. Those that do nest in boxes include Bluebirds, Chickadees, Titmice, Woodpeckers, and Wrens. Unwanted nesters in boxes include Starlings and House Sparrows.

Until the grass starts to grow and insects become active, natural food supplies are low now and you’ll find birds relying more on feeders to find food to supplement their diets. Juncos are still plentiful, as well as the White-Throated Sparrows. Enjoy them now, for they will move on later in the spring to their northern nesting grounds.

Birds to look for in March include some new arrivals: Turkey Vultures, Eastern Phoebes, and Towees, along with a big increase in numbers of Robins, Mourning Doves and Red-Winged Blackbirds. Our year-round residents include Cardinals, Goldfinches, Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and Woodpeckers.

Best Seeds to feed in March: Black Oil Sunflower is always the preferred seed by the majority of feeder birds; all mixes should list this as the first ingredient. Your main feeder should have a rich mix of black oil sunflower, and millet. For variety, add some nuts or safflower to the mix. You can still feed millet on the ground for the Juncos and White-Throated Sparrows. As these birds depart late this month, you may find mostly Mourning Doves and House Sparrows eating from ground feeders.

Until they begin nesting, Starlings can still be found in flocks. If you are unfortunate enough to have a flock of Starlings, it can be a frustrating experience. Try replacing all seed with pure Safflower seed. This is a seed that is unattractive to Starlings and Grackles. Although you may still have one or two Starlings that will eat the Safflower, most people will lose the large flocks that can overtake a backyard. If you enjoy Woodpeckers and don’t want to give up your suet, try using pure suet with no grains or peanuts in it. Again, this is usually unattractive to Starlings.

This Month’s Hint – Nest Boxes. The excitement of nesting season is just beginning. Plan now for the types of species you would like to attract and get your houses ready. If you are interested in attracting Bluebirds to your yard, you should know that Bluebirds are scouting out nest boxes now. If House Sparrows take over any box in your yard, do your best to evict them before they have a chance to nest. House Sparrows are aggressive at killing the young of many other species including Cardinals, Chickadees, Bluebirds, and Titmice. Talk to us at the store, we can tell you how to recognize sparrow activity and stop it.

Houses for Chickadees, Titmice, Nuthatches, and Woodpeckers should also go up soon. If you are hoping for House Wrens, you can wait a little while, as they usually make their appearance here in April. Existing Purple Martin houses should be opened around the 15th of March. If you are starting with a new martin house this year, wait until April 15th to open the house. We have some tools to help you attract Purple Martins to your yard. Come in and talk to one of our backyard bird experts.

Kids’ Activity for March. Kids usually get excited about the idea of baby birds. Let them lend the birds a hand this year by providing some nesting materials. Cut short lengths of string or yarn, gather pine needles or feathers from an old pillow, collect hair from brushes and combs. One of the most popular materials is dog hair, so give the dog a good brushing and offer the hair to the birds. Don’t use cat hair however, birds have an aversion to it (probably for good reason!). Another item to avoid is dryer lint. It often contains chemicals from softeners. You can put the nesting materials in a suet cage, an old onion bag (the ones that are stretchy with holes), or lay items on an open platform where the birds can see them.

The Birding Number of the Month. Birds have three eyelids. One upper and one lower eyelid, of which the lower is more moveable, and a nictitating membrane. This nictitating membrane is between the other two eyelids and the cornea and has its own lubricating duct equivalent to our tear duct. It is used in cleaning and protecting the eye. Read more about avian eyes at earthlife.net.

Want to attract more birds to your yard? Have a birding question? Visit Birding Tips on the Wild Bird Center site and Ask Denise.

Do you want to enhance your backyard birding experience and also help neighborhood wildlife? Our birding and habitat authority will visit your yard and assist you with planning and selecting the elements to enhance your backyard birding experience. Shortly after the visit, the Wild Bird Center will provide a complete plan for placement of feeders, baths, and other features to enhance your enjoyment. Consultation fee is $15. Call the store and make an appointment: 314-842-1496.