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| Blackbird |
(Agelaius phoeniceus) |
Family: Orioles & Blackbirds |
Quick Bird Facts
- Height: 5” - 9”
- Weight: 2.3 ozs.
- Life Span: 2-3 years in wild
- Flight Speed: 20-35 mph
- Food: Insects, small fruits, seeds, waste grain and small aquatic life.
- Habitat: Marshes, swamps, wet and dry meadows, and pastures.
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Blackbird Profile
The male Red-winged Blackbird is black with bright red shoulder patches. The female and young are heavily streaked with dusky brown. Red-winged Blackbirds do not completely attain full adult plumage until their third year. As migratory birds, red-winged blackbirds share many characteristics with related species. They are strong fliers that will often migrate in flocks of a thousand or more. Roosting is often communal, resulting in large, centralized populations.
The blackbird call is a gurgling reedy konk-la-ree or gurr-ga-leee.  Hear It Now!
Blackbird Problems
As one of the most common, widespread, and numerous birds in North America, little is done to protect red-winged blackbirds from the effects of habitat loss and urbanization. Despite their consumption of the seeds of unwanted weed pests, red-wing blackbirds have been known to cause great agricultural damage due to their colonial roosting habits and taste for agricultural products. Red-winged blackbirds often open the husks of developing corn stalks to feed on corn kernels. They are also known to feed on rice paddies and sunflower seeds.
This consumption of ripening crops has lead many agriculturalists to employ extremely effective and often inhumane tactics in battling red-winged blackbird populations. These tactics include the frequent use of traps, poisons, and Avitol, a chemical agent that causes birds to behave in abnormal ways. Surfactants, or wetting agents, have also caused considerable damage to red-winged blackbirds. These detergents break down the waterproofing properties of the blackbird's feathers making them extremely vulnerable to low temperatures. Because of the long history of human-blackbird conflict and their continued threat to agricultural initiatives many of these techniques are used to this day. Less harmful and humane methods of red-winged blackbird control are listed below.
Blackbird Control
There are numerous products and techniques available to combat nuisance blackbirds. Noisemaker units such as the BirdXPeller Pro and Super BirdXPeller Pro Sonic Repellers units emit natural distress calls and frightening sounds plus visual scare products like Bird Bopper and Irri-Tape visual deterrents. If they are too entrenched to be scared away, exclusion using BirdNet netting or Bird Stop biodegradable food and crop spray may prove effective. Traditional roost inhibitors like Bird Spikes for ledges and sills is another option. Shock Tape also works well to repel blackbirds from ledges, sills and signs.
See our complete list below of recommended bird deterrent products to repel blackbirds.
To speak to a bird control professional, call BirdStoppers at 1-866-411-6287. |
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A "synergy" or combination of bird repellent products typically offer the most successful solution for repelling blackbirds. For bird control solutions, we often recommend using companion products by combining electronic repeller devices or bird hazers with visual scare deterrents, physical bird barriers or scent and taste aversion products. This kind of multi-sensory attack is extremely effective in deterring pest blackbirds for good!
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 Hazers and Taste Aversion
 Bird StopLiquid bird repellent has a taste and smell that birds can't stand. Protect crops and food sources.
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BirdXPeller ProSonic bird repeller emits real bird distress calls and predator sounds to scare away birds for up to 1 acre.
Super BirdXPeller ProSonic bird repeller uses natural distress calls for bird control protection in large outdoor areas.
Ultrason XOutdoor, ultrasonic bird control device uses "silent" high-pitch frequencies that only birds and bats can hear.
