Nest-building time - Red-winged blackbirds

Female Red-winged blackbird with nest-building materials.  Inset:  male.

It's the males of most avian species that get the glory, both visually and auditorily.  The red-winged blackbird male, with its bold epilate patches on the wing, shows its presence in both manners to stake out and defend a nesting territory.  The female of the species, on the other hand, is well-camouflaged and is responsible for building the nest.   She does "sing" though, but not anything like the familiar call of the male.  Instead, she utters a series of chirping sounds (click here to see a video with sound).  Their purpose is varied but often involves territory, warning, or location calls.  

The female builds a cup-shaped nest out of grasses and reeds.  Courser grasses are woven together on the outside with finer ones lining the inside.  They may also use cattail seed fluff to provide some degree of softness and insulation.  You can see a photo here.  The nests are often build low to the surface of water surrounded by reeds.  The females usually lay 3-4 eggs that hatch in just under 2 weeks.

The manner in which birds build nests varies widely.  Some, like the killdeer, simply hollow out a depression in a gravel bed.  Others, like bushtits, build complex hanging bag-like nests.  Some nests, like those of eagles, are massive structures up to six feet in diameter, while hummingbird nests are basically ultra-small teacups.  

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com