Tricolored
Blackbird, Agelaius tricolor
The Tricolored Blackbird is mostly found in California, and is most common in the Central Valley. It is closely related to the Red-winged Blackbird, especially the Bicolored variety that is also concentrated in California; female Bicolored and Tricolored can be hard to distinguish. Male Tricoloreds and typical Redwings can also be confused. The Tricolored's shoulder patch or epaulet is red with a white fringe, while the typical Redwing's fringe is buff to yellow; however the Tricolored fringes can appear pale buff, and those of typical Redwings can look white, especially when they are worn. Bicolored Redwings have smaller solid red epaulets without a fringe; their median coverts (the fringes on Tricolors and typical Redwings) are black.
Above and below, first-summer male Tricolors resemble adults, except that some black appears in the white fringe.
The females shown above and below were photographed in an area where Tricolors nest,
just inside the entrance to Kern River Preserve. Female Tricolors differ from typical Redwings
in being darker overall, with much less bold striping on the underparts and less distinct
patterning on the head. In these respects they are similar to female Bicolored Redwings;
they differ from the Bicolors in having colder colors above. All the male birds near
these females were Tricolors, and this species is strongly colonial in nesting season; no
male Bicolors were seen in the area; and these birds show the colder colors characteristic
of Tricolors. Note that warm/cold appearance varies with the light; the bird below carrying
nesting material was photographed in warm early-morning light. Compare the females, both
typical and Bicolored, shown on the Red-winged Blackbird page.
