*Oology is a branch of ornithology studying bird eggs, nests and breeding behaviour. The word is derived from the Greek oion, meaning egg.

14. Red-winged Blackbird

This part of the Stanislaus Audubon Website is focused on 44 common Central Valley nesting species with background about their nesting habits. Please check the Great Valley Museum Central Valley Egg Collection starting page for links to all the featured species.

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD NESTING INFORMATION (From birdsoftheworld.org)

Nests - Males typically arrive at breeding sites before females. Nest-building begins in early April in the Central Valley. Nest sites are extremely variable. Only the female builds the nest and they are commonly placed in wetland, upland, and agricultural habitats, occasionally in urban parks and suburban habitats. Nests are placed in a great variety of substrates woven among several vertical shoots or branches. Wetland substrates include cattail (Typha), bulrush (Scirpus), sedge (Carex), common reed (Phragmites australis), bur-reed (Sparganium), and willow (Salix).
Eggs - Typically oval to long-oval. Color is pale blue-green to gray, overlaid with streaks, blotches, and spots of black or brown. Clutch size is usually 3 (range 2 to 4).
Incubation - Typically 11–13 d. and only the female incubates.
Fledging - Young are altricial and leave the nest after 11 to 14 days.

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