Our neighborhood is home to a diverse array of songbirds, each with their own distinct personality and unique quirks. Some are pleasantly friendly, while others… not so much. Red-winged blackbirds, with their scornful, cliquey behavior, fit the aloof end of that personality spectrum.

They’re the polar opposite of the bluebirds here, who react with gregarious curiosity to me and my camera. The red-wings strongly disapprove of my many attempts to bond with them and greet me with sharp “CHECK!” calls if they see me walking nearby.

“Oh look, it’s camera boy! Again!”

It’s that non-stop severity that makes them, most ironically, the funniest birds in our neighborhood.

A male red-winged blackbird scolding the cameraman as he turns around on a bare tree branch.
“What do you want now, you fiend?!”
A male red-winged blackbird on a telephone wire, caught mid-scold.
“Oh wow, what a surprise. Can you tell how shocked I am to see you, for the umpteenth time?”

Nature’s Strict Security Guards

Red-winged blackbirds are almost constantly on guard, watching out for possible threats. They’re known for dive-bombing passersby who stray too close during their nesting season (usually the middle of summer). I’m grateful that, quite likely by God advising them otherwise, the red-wings here don’t see me as a trespasser.

They just treat me like a pest instead!

Our neighborhood red-wings make a variety of noises that unintentionally sound like a security system. Take this disapproving “Cluck!” sound, for example:

“Nope, keep walking!”

What cracks me up about these calls is that they fit the nature of red-winged blackbirds to a T. They actually do work as an avian security force when hawks come too close to their territory!

While I unfortunately lack footage, I can tell you with utmost amazement that they’re VICIOUS about ganging up and chasing out hawks! They also seem to hate the crows, which surprises me. I suppose red-winged blackbirds would rather attack preemptively instead of waiting to retaliate.

“Get off my public property!”

When They’re Calm

Thankfully, the red-wings don’t always snap at me when they see me with my camera. Sometimes, they’ll watch me stoically while doing their famous “Conk-la-REE!” song.

“Oh boy, there’s our biggest fan…again…”

They can make some lovely calls when in charitable moods, like this one:

(Old footage from my smartphone)

I understand why the red-wings and other neighborhood birds would be put off by my photography antics. As much as I love all of them, I know that I must be absolutely erratic in their eyes.

I’ve striven to practice good, ethical birding behavior over the last couple of years here. My determination to respect their boundaries has been picked up by the robins, the “moral guardians” of the area. I believe that the robins have passed off their approval of me to the other birds.

While I lately have (at least) a 4.5/5 avian approval rating, there will always be stragglers. Individual birds still keep a stern eye on me at all times, despite my attempts to form friendships with them.

One of those birdies is Randall the Red-Winged Blackbird, otherwise known as “my sweet Randall muffin!”

“Oh, Randall!”

One of my highlights from 2023 was “bonding” (I use that term here loosely) with a male red-winged blackbird I lovingly named “Randall”. Randall developed an odd avian obsession with me after he and the other red-wings observed me trying to photograph them and the other birds with my smartphone.

A male red-winged blackbird flying onto a telephone wire.
“There you are! Back to position!”

Around July ’23, Randall started perching on the cable wires over our backyard, where I’d see him almost every day. He seemed bizarrely determined to keep an eye on me while I was out walking in the neighborhood.

“Ew, it’s you!”

Randall most likely saw me as a nuisance to be scrutinized to the utmost degree. He was so devoted to this self-appointed task that he’d go to ridiculous lengths to observe my every action.

Just for Me

One bright afternoon, I walked out of our backyard to start another walk when I noticed a black bird flying high up in the sky. That bird sharply flew down and perched on one of the nearby trees as I headed to the park. Lo and behold, it was Randall, gleefully shouting “Check-check-CHECK!” at me in triumph.

He’d been flying up high, waiting for me to come out so that he could resume his favorite hobby of scolding me up close. I shouldn’t consider that as heartwarming, but here we are!

My chaotic daydream about my red-winged “bestie” is that he felt deep affection for me, but was desperate to deny it at all costs. Maybe he was jealous of the attention I was giving to the other birds!

Randall is either still here in our neighborhood, or he’s advised his offspring to continue his legacy. I frequently see a male red-winged blackbird perched over our backyard, keeping an eye out for me.

Possibly Randall during a lovely sunset

Once, I saw him perched directly over our backyard’s entrance, making a shy “Eck…” call over and over again. It honestly sounded like he’d missed seeing me out and about. What’s the fun in scolding me if I don’t show up, right?

While I can’t always determine when it’s Randall scolding me, I’d like to believe that he’s still following my every move. I know it sounds odd, but hearing him snap “CHECK!” at me always lifts my spirits.

Once, I had a bout of depression in the middle of a walk, and half-jokingly thought to myself, “If only Randall were here to snap me out of it.” Lo and behold, barely a minute later, I heard a male red-wing scold me from a few feet away!

Wherever you are: thank you, Randall, for being my most ironic antidepressant.

Sassy Grande Dames: Female Red-Wings

The female red-wings compound the behavioral quirks of the males, acting like sassy, gossipy secretaries. They’re just as cliquey, if not more so. What sets them apart from the males is their confounding approach to observing me.

When I’m out walking in the spring and summer, I’ll often see a female red-wing give me a rapid “Check-check-check!”, fly around me for a few seconds, and then land some feet away. She’ll inspect the grass and flowers for possible insects while keeping a not-so-subtle eye on me. It’s another oddly endearing red-wing trait that makes me fond of them.

Sometimes, when I try to take pictures of them, female red-wings will snap at me and fly just out of the field of view. I imagine them shouting, “You dare photograph me? You SWINE!“

When they do let me take pictures of them, it frequently ends up being a frame of them scolding me, like so:

A female red-winged blackbird scolding the cameraman while perched on a leafy twig.
“Watch where you point that thing!”

Though on the other hand, there are times when they’ll silently tolerate me, even looking away in a surprisingly pensive mood:

A calm female red-winged blackbird looking away while perched on a leafy twig.
“I suppose it is a lovely day after all…”

Sweet Suzette

A recent birding highlight has been one particularly observant female whom I’ve named “Suzette”. There was no inspiration for her name, and I assure you, “Suzette” fits her perfectly!

Suzette will see me (or hear me) walking nearby, burst out of the bushes, and let out a hysterically non-stop chain of “Check-check-check-check!” calls. She’ll hop onto the telephone wires, fly to a nearby tree, and even fly around me in circles, all while chatting away.

“UGH!”

I worried for a time that she was acting defensively toward me being potentially near her nest. It turns out that Suzette just likes to keep gossipy tabs on me wherever I am, even in our backyard!

One afternoon, while out with our family golden retriever, I stood on the back porch and heard Suzette go off once more. She zoomed into the bushes lining our backyard where the house sparrows live, shouting endless “Check!” calls at me. I saw her momentarily fly out of the bushes to get a close look at me before returning to her temporary perch.

My theory is that Suzette is Randall’s daughter or granddaughter. Like Randall, she’s bound and determined to scrutinize my every move, and to do so, she will take to perching right over the entrance to the backyard.

How sweet of her to make time to scold me while preening herself!

Lately, Suzette has seemingly relaxed around me. I say that tentatively, because she’s yet to be silent when sighting me walking around.

A picture of a female red-winged blackbird on a leafy tree branch.
“Hmph. Yes, hello. Again.”
This is a less-sassy example of Suzette and her chattiness around me

My hope is that Suzette will eventually accept that I’m just an inquisitive fellow. Maybe she’ll become one of my best bird buddies like Sam the Song Sparrow! Only time will tell.

Red-Winged Affection

While the red-winged blackbirds will never admit it, we share a unique bond. All of the neighborhood birds are intrigued by my curiosity, but the red-wings, for three years in a row now, continue to analyze me with the most incredible intensity.

My little joke about the red-winged blackbirds and me is that they’re tsundere when it comes to their interactions with me. Tsundere is an anime term referring to characters who try to hide their shy, affectionate feelings behind a mask of scorn and disdain. Randall was the most tsundere red-wing of all time!

Their refusal to admit their interest in me calls to mind this classic Disney song:

In a way, they act like an aloof, irritable older sibling would towards their endearing younger sibling. They rarely let their guard down, but when they do, it’s a thing of beauty.

A male red-winged blackbird pausing to sing for the camera on a sunny, cloudy morning while on a chain-link fence.
“Sure, I’ll sing for you.”
A male red-winged blackbird looking quietly at the camera.
“So it’s you, huh?”
A young male red-winged blackbird on a chain-link fence, pausing to look down at the camera in silence.
“You’re the one I’ve heard so much gossip about, aren’t you?”
A male red-winged blackbird against sunlit tree leaves.
“Just what are you so fascinated by, anyway?”

I have a theory that the American robins in our neighborhood have advised the red-winged blackbirds to loosen up around me. The robins also analyze me at times, and have become increasingly satisfied with my birding “manners” (keeping a respectful distance and respecting birds’ boundaries).

One of the sweetest interactions I’ve ever had with a red-wing was when I pleaded with one to hop onto my finger. He paused mid-scold, looked down at me, and let out the loveliest “Tweee!” call before flying away. It was like he was saying, “Oh, that’s what you’ve wanted from us all along!”

While the red-winged blackbirds always deny it, I’m grateful for the unique bond we share and for the times when, instead of scolding me, they simply sing.

A male red-winged blackbird spreading his wings and singing behind green leaves.
“I’ll serenade you, but just this once.”
“Ladies, I’m available!”

All Images and Bird Footage by Connor Brennan

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