An experimental study of paternal behavior in red-winged blackbirds

A Comparative Study of Cowbird Parasitism in Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds

--We compared Yellow-headed Blackbirds (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) and Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) to determine possible explanations for the lack of Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism on Yellow-heads. Twenty-three cowbird eggs were cross-fostered from Red-winged Blackbird nests to Yellow-headed Blackbird nests. Eleven of the cross-fostered cowbird eggs hatched...

Male red-winged blackbirds distrust unreliable and sexually attractive neighbours.

In many species, territorial neighbours fight to establish their mutual border and then develop a truce, known as the dear-enemy phenomenon, characterized by reduced vigilance and aggression along the border. We present evidence that among male red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) the dear-enemy relationship is a form of reciprocal conditional cooperation that is stabilized, at least in ...

A Program for Developing Male Chemosterilants for Red-winged Blackbirds

Food color, flavor, and conditioned avoidance among red-winged blackbirds.

The relationship between food flavors and postingestive feedback enables mammalian herbivores to procure nutrients and avoid toxins within ever-changing environments. We conducted four experiments with red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) in captivity to determine the relative roles of color and flavor cues paired with negative postingestive feedback. We first conducted baseline tests to...

Food Habits and Molt of Red- Winged Blackbirds in Relation to Sunflower and Corn Depredation

From late July to early November 1979, 1980, and 1982, red-winged blackbirds were collected in sunflower, field corn, and at two roosts in Cass County, North Dakota. Their espophageal contents were examined, and they were also assessed for stage of molt. Both males and females contained a higher proportion of sunflower in sunflower fields than corn in field corn (P < 0.05). Male redwings consum...