Drawn by the sound of my camera's shutter, the Red-winged Blackbird fledgling looks my way.
In this post we take a look at a fledged Red-winged Blackbird sitting on a perch in the wetlands waiting for a parent to return to feed it. The fledgling appears to be maturing nicely, but is still young enough to rely on its parents.
The fledged Red-winged Blackbird looks up, likely watching some other bird fly overhead.
The coloration of its feathers are those of both adolescent and female Red-winged Blackbirds, namely a pattern of light and dark brown. You can see the ends of many feathers stick out, they’re not yet smooth. You can also tell from its face that it is a fledgling. The feathers on the face have not yet fully grown in.
The young Red-winged Blackbird closes its eyes and takes a short nap.
This particular fledgling didn’t move around much while I observed it. In fact, at one point it closed its eyes and appeared to nap. And it remained completely quiet, as well, though I suspect it would have begun making quite a noise if it saw a parent approaching.
Parting image of the young fledged Red-winged Blackbird.
Keep your eyes open when you’re out in the field. There’s plenty to see if you stay observant.
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