A female Red-winged Blackbird, clinging to a cattail, considers her options for a mate at the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge yesterday. Male Red-winged blackbirds clung to other cattails or, like this one, to common tansy, as they showed off their epaulets and warbled their mating calls to attract females. She flew off after a short time. Whether it was because she wanted time to think or because she sought out better options, she had decisions to make.
I see the males all the time at my feeders but never knew what a female looks like. Now I know!! Thank you😂