Rusty Blackbird
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[Photo] Rusty Blackbird -- Algonquin Provincial Park, Canada -- 2006 October

The Rusty Blackbird, Euphagus carolinus, is a medium-sized blackbird.

Adults have a pointed bill and a pale yellow eye. They have black plumage; the female is greyer. "Rusty" refers to the brownish winter plumage. They resemble the western member of the same genus, the Brewer's Blackbird; however, this bird has a longer bill and the male's head is iridescent green.

Their breeding habitat is wet temperate coniferous forests and muskeg across Canada and Alaska. The cup nest is located in a tree or dense shrub, usually over water.

These birds migrate to the southeastern United States, into parts of the Grain Belt.

They forage on wet ground or in shallow water, mainly eating insects and some seeds. They will attack small passerine birds, and have been known to kill species as large as Common Snipe. They feed in flocks during migration, often joining other blackbirds.

The song resembles the grating of a rusty hinge.

Rusty Blackbirds have declined significantly in recent decades. The reasons are unclear, but habitat loss is likely a major contributor to the decline.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rusty_Blackbird

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