General

Brewer's Blackbird: Medium-sized blackbird with purple gloss on head and neck and green gloss on body and wings. Eyes are yellow. Female is entirely dark gray-brown with darker wings and tail, and dark eyes. Juvenile resembles female, has yellow eyes.

Range and Habitat

Brewer's Blackbird: Breeds from British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario south to southern California, New Mexico, and Texas; spends winters as far north as British Columbia and the Carolinas. Preferred habitats include prairies, fields, and farmyards.

Breeding and Nesting

Brewer's Blackbird: Three to seven brown-spotted, light green or gray eggs are laid in a nest made of coarse grass and twigs, reinforced with mud, lined with fine grass and hair, built on the ground or in a tree; nests in loose colonies of up to 30 pairs. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Brewer's Blackbird: Eats insects, caterpillars, fruits, and seeds. Forages on the ground; forms large foraging flocks during migration and winter.

Readily Eats

Cracked Corn, Nut Meats, Suet, Millet

Vocalization

Brewer's Blackbird: Song is a breathy, creaky "ke-see." The call is a gruff "check."

Similar Species

Brewer's Blackbird: Male Rusty Blackbird lacks purple iridescence. Grackles are larger with much longer tails. Cowbirds are smaller with conical bills.