Yellow-headed Blackbirds (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) are robin-sized blackbirds found in prairie and mountain meadow wetlands of the western and central United States and Canada. They are conspicuous not only because of the male’s bright yellow head and breast and their highly social behavior, but they produce some pretty strange calls as well.
You can hear the Yellow-headed Blackbird call by clicking on the sound link courtesy of Xeno-Canto.org.
I found this cluster of Yellow-headed Blackbirds in Sierra Valley, California, on a bird outing with the local Audubon Society after installing some artificial Burrowing Owl habitat earlier that day.
I had returned to the location we had seen this rather large breeding flock to photograph some Sandhill Cranes that were also nesting in this large wetland that makes up part of the headwaters of the middle fork of the Feather River. As I was photographing the cranes, I noticed this male blackbird walking up the road towards me and barely had time to turn my camera around to get a portrait shot of him in his bright yellow splendor (click on photos for full sized images).
His rivals where on the other side of the bridge, foraging on the lily pads for aquatic insects.
The female Yellow-headed Blackbird is not quite as flashy as her beau, but she doesn’t need to be.
You see, the males arrive in the breeding grounds before the females and establish a territory that they defend aggressively against other males. They are polygynous, having up to 16 females in their harem. Yea, I’m bad!
But look, I can be cool too. Negotiating these lily pads can be tough but I’m having a great time finding all these tasty tidbits.
How easy do you think it is to impress all these females?
Great shots of a great bird, Larry. We’ve got a nice colony of them here in Michigan at Nayanquing Point, one of their easternmost breeding areas and somewhat isolated from the rest of the population. It’s a nice break from all the red-winged’s to go up there and see some yellow-heads for a change!
Awesome post again Larry! I love the photo on the lily-pad. Yellow-Headed Blackbirds are stunning indeed and always beg to be photographed. I’ve always felt like they looked a bit Oriole-like.
Great post, Larry. Although the male is very flashy, I think I like the female’s coloring a bit more. 🙂
oh they’re beauties! their sounds are strange and not at all what i would expect from a blackbird! almost sound like frogs at times! perhaps that’s why they’re so adept at those lily pad moves! 🙂
@Kirby the larger, more dominant Yellow-headed Blackbirds actually displace the Red-winged Blackbirds when the males enter the territory in the spring. The two species maintain mutually exclusive territories.
@Robert thanks! I don’t know which lily pad photo you mean but I like the last, spread eagle one myself
@Nancy thank you for that comment. I have often stated that I like the more subtle coloring of some females of certain species than the brighter male plumages. The Northern Cardinal is one that come to mind.
@TexWisGirl hahaha, very astute observation!
Great pics and post on a striking blackbird species!
Nice shots. I’m really looking forward to seeing some of these, but no luck yet.
I am pretty sure this is the bird that I spotted at my sisters backyard yesterday in Pingee Grove IL. They have a huge swampy area right behind their property. Found it on your website. It was not listed in Brids of Illinois” book I refer to.