Species

Brewer's blackbird

Euphagus cyanocephalus

A glossy western blackbird with a yellow eye, a scarce winter visitor to Georgia's fields.

At a glance

Key marks: Male glossy black with a purple-green sheen and yellow eye; female brown with a dark eye
Told apart from: Rusty blackbird, which has rusty feather edges in winter
Told apart from: Common grackle, which is larger with a long, keel-shaped tail
Where to look: Farmyards and feedlots with other blackbirds

Brewer's blackbirds walk on the ground in fields and farmyards, often with other blackbirds.

Brewer's blackbirds are widespread in the West and reach Georgia in small numbers in winter. They eat many insects and weed seeds.

Nest — A cup in a shrub or tree
Eggs — Usually four to six
Incubation — About 12 to 14 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Lifespan — Several years

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Recorded in 48 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

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