Yellow-headed Blackbird

The yellow-headed blackbird isn't a bird I've seen much. It seems to be much more numerous further west in Minnesota, although it is certainly present in marshy areas in much of the state, along with the more common red-winged blackbird. I only remember spotting one in Northfield once, quite a few years ago now, right after I had seen many of them on a family trip to the Black Hills and Yellowstone.

But we spotted a couple recently at the marsh near the gravel pit south of town a couple of weeks ago and again last weekend. I see from eBird that others have reported them there this year as well.

If I saw yellow-headeds all the time, as we do the red-winged blackbirds, I suppose I wouldn't continue to find them all that exciting. But the gold and black are so striking that I do love to see them. A friend described them thus: "As if its jet black feathers were dipped headfirst into a golden pond."