Tricolored Blackbird Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesTricolored Blackbird
Breeding male
Broad-shouldered blackbird with a hunchbacked look and a long conical bill. Males have a distinctive red shoulder patch bordered below by a white band.
© Daniel Murphy / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, April 14, 2017Female
Thicker bodied songbird with a slender, pointed bill. Females are dark gray-brown overall with streaks on the back and belly. Note pale eyebrow.
© Ted Beedy / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, June 30, 2013Nonbreeding male
Males often have brown fringing to the feathers from September to August.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, October 25, 2020Flock
Occurs in large groups year-round feeding in agricultural fields, feed lots, and pastures.
© Brian SullivanCalifornia, December 18, 2014Similar SpeciesRed-winged Blackbird
Breeding male (Red-winged)
Male Red-winged Blackbirds have a yellow stripe below the reddish-orange shoulder patch, whereas Tricolored Blackbirds have a white stripe and a brighter red shoulder patch. Red-winged Blackbirds also have a shorter bill and rounder wings than Tricolored.
© Phil Kahler / Macaulay LibraryOregon, May 13, 2017Similar SpeciesRed-winged Blackbird
Female (Red-winged)
Female Red-winged Blackbirds have a rusty wash on their face that female Tricolored Blackbirds lack. They are also paler brown overall with heavier streaking on the belly than female Tricolored.
© David Trescak / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, March 05, 2017Similar SpeciesRed-winged Blackbird
Breeding male (California Bicolored)
Males in some parts of California have a a yellower band below the red shoulder, unlike male Tricolored Blackbirds that have a white or sometimes buffy band below the shoulder.
© Steve Kelling / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, February 19, 2016Similar SpeciesRed-winged Blackbird
Female (California Bicolored)
Female Red-winged Blackbirds in some parts of California are darker brown overall similar to female Tricolored, but they have less streaking than female Tricolored Blackbirds.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, April 03, 2016Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Troupials and Allies(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Icteridae)
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