Rusty Blackbird - the leaf flipper

Early afternoon on 7 November 2014, I drove over to the east end of Fish Creek Park and was lucky enough to see two of these beautiful Rusty Blackbirds. IUCN Status: Vulnerable. I rarely see these birds, so I’m always glad when I do see one. It was interesting to watch this one pick up and then flip one leaf after another, to check underneath them for food. Eventually, it did find a big, fat, juicy water worm of some kind, and eat it.

“The Rusty Blackbird is one of North America’s most rapidly declining species. The population has plunged an estimated 85-99 percent over the past forty years and scientists are completely puzzled as to what is the cause. They are relatively uncommon denizens of wooded swamps, breeding in the boreal forest and wintering in the eastern U.S. In winter, they travel in small flocks and are identified by their distinctive rusty feather edges and pallid yellow eyes.” From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/rusty_blackbird/id

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rusty_blackbird

rustyblackbird.org/