When red-winged blackbirds attack

You could call them “warriors of the wetland.” Or “meanies of the marsh,” even “bullies of the bulrushes.”

Or you could call them by their name, red-winged blackbirds. With shiny black feathers and a red badge on each shoulder, male red-wings migrate back to our area early each spring, intent on commandeering a favorite wetland, meadow or field. And then they spend the next several months fiercely defending it, taking on all comers, from other red-wings, to larger birds, to humans, even horses.

If you’ve ever had the experience of walking near a body of water and having a belligerent, smallish bird buzz out of nowhere and dive-bomb your head, you’ve met up with a red-winged blackbird. The bird sees you as an intruder who needs to be driven out of his territory. After all, he’s protecting not just one nest, but possibly five, maybe even 10.

Territory is the name of the game in the red-winged blackbird world, and feisty males with prime real estate have many mates, thus many offspring, a nesting style called polygyny. They spend a good portion of each day watching from a raised perch for any incursions. (But researchers have found that many females in a defended territory will mate with nearby males, too.)

In a study conducted in Wisconsin, the most aggressive males had the largest harems (the word used in the avian world). And females can get into the act, as well, joining a male in aerial attacks to drive away intruders.

Steven Meisel, who lives in Woodbury, has seen this dynamic play out often in his summertime visits to local nature centers and parks to hone his photography skills. And he has the photos to prove that red-winged blackbirds can be tough customers. In a recent visit to a nature preserve in Woodbury he photographed red-wings harassing a wild turkey in the wetlands.

“The poor turkey was just minding her own business on the boardwalk,” he says.

A day later at Lake Elmo Regional Park in Washington County, a great egret was under attack as it waded in search of small fish and frogs. And in a stop at Maplewood Nature Center, Meisel watched sandhill cranes flinching under attacks by red-wings. (Cranes are big birds, standing almost 4 feet tall, while these blackbirds measure just under 9 inches.)

They’ve been called “two-ounce tyrants,” and the best defense is avoidance, but this isn’t always possible as we walk in natural areas. Wear a hat, walk fast and the unnerving experience will soon be over. And the blackbirds no longer will be in attack mode after breeding season ends.

Their hyper-vigilant nature helps explain why the red-winged blackbird’s population is so high, the fourth highest on our continent. And once breeding season is over, these fierce birds peacefully join large flocks of others of their kind for fall and winter.

St. Paul resident Val Cunningham, who volunteers with the St. Paul Audubon Society and writes about nature for local, regional and national newspapers and magazines, can be reached at valwrites@comcast.net.