*Oology is a branch of ornithology studying bird eggs, nests and breeding behaviour. The word is derived from the Greek oion, meaning egg.
18. Yellow-headed 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.
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD NESTING INFORMATION (From birdsoftheworld.org)
Nests - Males arrive first at breeding locations and establish territories before females arrive. Nests initiated as soon as female selects a site. Using her bill, female brings several long, wet strands of vegetation from the surface of the water to the nest site. Additional vegetation strands are woven around the supporting stems until they are enclosed in a network of interwoven wet vegetation. Nest is open cup, compact and rigid. Constructed of woven and plaited strips, generally of the same vegetation as the supporting emergent vegetation to which it is firmly attached. Egg-laying generally begins 1–2 days after nests are completed.
Eggs - Generally subelliptical, but variable from oval to elliptical, grayish white to pale greenish white, profusely and evenly blotched and speckled with shades of brown, rufous, and pearl gray. Clutch size is usually 4 (range 3 to 5).
Incubation - 12-14 days, Only female incubates eggs. Females feed young in nest. Males assist in feeding after young are about 4 d old but almost exclusively at primary nests.
Fledging - Young are altricial and leave nest after 9–12 days.
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