Winged Wednesday - Bird Arrivals in March

Each fall a large part of the Wisconsin Bird population (and some of the human population) head south for warmer weather. The winter weather in the Upper Midwest is not generally friendly to the insect population, which forces those birds which depend on the insects to migrate. While many of these birds head far south to places in Central America, others only head as far south as places like Arkansas. The birds which remain state-side are the ones we can expect to arrive first. While I imagine that few people anticipate the arrival of blackbirds, I get quite excited about it because it's one of the first signs that Spring has come.

The Common Grackle will be one of the first birds to return. They are black with a shiny iridescence and yellow eyes. They tend to move about in large groups and may roost at night with other blackbirds. Early in the day as the sun comes up and as they gather at night, the grackles can be quite noisy. Their call is quite shrill, and they will forage in our yards and gardens. They will eat human food from our compost piles, they will eat seed from feeders, and they will look for insects in the turf grass.

The Brown Headed Cowbird is another blackbird which will return early. In my experience they tend to be more interested in farmers' fields than in backyards, but we've had them visit our feeders. They have an interesting sexual dimorphism. The male's coloring is where the species' name originates. The male has a solid brown head with a black beak and black body. The female is a sharp slate gray. They will bicker with other birds at feeders, and their aggressive behavior can be unwanted at feeders.

Red Winged Blackbirds are probably my favorite of the blackbirds. The males have bright red shoulders with a golden wing bar. In the mornings and evenings they may gather with grackles and can be heard across town. They spend a fair amount of time by storm water retention ponds, where the male birds will display in the evenings. I enjoy how well they balance on the tall reeds and grasses.

The American Robin is not a blackbird, but the Wisconsin State Bird should arrive during March. The robins can be found in our yard and gardens eating grubs, worms, and other insects from the ground. Robins are a thrush and can be quite aggressive with one another. They even look cocky as they hop around the lawn, and they fly into windows thinking that their reflection is another robin. Their nests are small bowls which will be filled with small blue eggs. They aren't particularly afraid of people and may try to nest near your house such as atop flood lights or on overhangs. Robins are viewed by many as the official herald of Spring.