Populations of Rusty Blackbirds are crashing. Their numbers have plummeted as much as 88-98 percent over the last few decades, according to data gathered from 1966 to 2006 by the
North...
Populations of Rusty Blackbirds are crashing. Their numbers have plummeted as much as
88-98 percent over the last few decades, according to data gathered from 1966 to 2006 by the
North American Breeding Bird Survey and Christmas Bird Count. Bird watchers across North
America are being asked to help scientists track migrating Rusty Blackbirds, April 1-7.
They can enter their tallies online at eBird, a bird checklist project developed by the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon.
A century ago, the Rusty Blackbird was an incredibly abundant bird. Accounts from the
period detail spectacular spring migrations between the species' wintering grounds in the
bottomland forests of the southeastern United States and its breeding grounds in the
forested wetlands of North America's vast boreal forest. Ornithological reports from New
England and southern Canada describe waves of tens to hundreds of thousands of Rusty
Blackbirds blackening the earth and clouding the sky in the spring. In many communities,
the migration of Rusty Blackbirds was likened to the year's first chorus of tree frogsa
sign that spring had finally arrived.
These reports stand in stark contrast to the situation today. Rusty Blackbird populations
have suffered one of most staggering population declines of any bird in North America. A
better understanding of the Rusty Blackbird's habitat requirements is key to conserving
its remaining populations. Spring migration is an especially critical time. Rusty
Blackbirds congregate in large flocks which may be particularly vulnerable to habitat
losses, blackbird control programs, or other disturbances. Unfortunately, very little is
known about the natural history requirements of the Rusty Blackbird during its northward
migration.
Scientists at Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are appealing to bird watchers
to help fill this information gap by looking for Rusty Blackbirds migrating north April
1-7. The data collected and reported through eBird will help identify important migration
stopover locations and habitats for conservation. It will help researchers examine
whether long-term changes to key migration habitats are responsible for the species'
decline. If you are interested in participating, please collect the following
information, then visit the website to send your observations, taking note of:
Rusty Blackbirds are uncommon blackbirds typically found in wooded swamps and damp
forests. At this time of year, their feathers are mostly blackish with females having
some rusty edges to the wings and body. Both sexes have "staring" pale eyes. They can
sometimes be confused with other species such as the Common Grackle and the Brewer's
Blackbird. However the grackle is larger and both these look-alikes have longer tails and
thicker bills than the Rusty Blackbird. The Brewer's is also found primarily in open
fields rather than wooded areas. The female Red-winged Blackbird bears some resemblance
to the Rusty Blackbird but has streaking on its underparts. Read more on identifying
Rusty Blackbirds.
The eBird project was launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National
Audubon Society. It currently receives up to 50,000 bird checklists per month, providing
raw data for maps and charts that reveal trends in bird populations and distribution
across North America, Mexico, and the Caribbeanone of the largest databases of bird
observations in the world.