Blackbird

Because I belong to several groups in social media for folks who enjoy “birding” I have come to recognize an interesting phenomenon. I’m not going to say that it’s a fact, since I only have my own experience to support my opinion. However, my experience suggests that people are not as enamored with black colored birds as they are for the more vividly colored species.

As an example, I read a post from a group member who complained that there were so many Grackles at her feeder. She even shared her disdain for the species, and sadly used the word “hate” when she described how she felt about Grackles. The post included a photo of a dozen or so lovely Common Grackles picking at food on the ground below the feeder. The thought crossed my mind that if the Grackles had been red, orange, yellow or blue she may have posted about how exciting it was that she had a dozen (Cardinals, Orioles, Finches or Bluebirds) non-black birds in her yard all at the same time!

Personally, some of my favorite birds are black. I adore Crows, and if I lived where Ravens thrived, I would be thrilled if I could observe them. Grackles aren’t actually black. If you look at their feathers they are actually quite iridescent. And, they are quite intelligent birds that are native to our area and have as much a right to be here as any other species.

Here’s another black colored bird that isn’t as black as it appears. I adore the sound of Red-winged Blackbirds because they remind me of Spring. They are some of earliest arrivals and the males sing a trill-tweet sound that carries a long way and cannot be confused by any other bird song.