A mid winter visitor.

Rusty Blackbird, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Feb 8, 2019.


Most of the blackbirds head south for the winter but today we had red-winged blackbirds, grackles, brown-headed cowbird and two rusty blackbirds in the yard today.

Rusties aren't rare in season but not often seen unless you are out in the marsh.
Having them in the yard in February was a treat.

Euphagus carolinus
Rusty Blackbird is one of North America’s most rapidly declining species. The population has plunged an estimated 85-99 percent over the past forty years and scientists are completely puzzled as to what is the cause. They are relatively uncommon denizens of wooded swamps, breeding in the boreal forest and wintering in the eastern U.S. In winter, they travel in small flocks and are identified by their distinctive rusty featheredges and pallid yellow eyes.
source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rusty_Blackbird/

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