BLACKBIRD  

Blackbird is the common name for about 25 species of birds of the New World family Icteridae, which also includes orioles and bobolinks, and for several unrelated Old World birds of the THRUSH family, Turdidae. American blackbirds range from 20 to 28 cm (8 to 11 in) long and have pointed bills and rounded tails. Males are typically black, and some have markings in bright colors. Females may be brown, grayish, or mottled. The red-winged blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus male has flashing-red shoulder patches, for example, and the female is brown and striped; they are abundantly distributed over the marshes and upland fields of most of North America. Many blackbirds are gregarious and nest in colonies; 2 to 7 eggs are laid. They feed on insects, seeds, and grain. The common blackbird of the Old World resembles the duller species of American blackbirds but is actually a thrush related to the American robin.