19. Brewer's Blackbird

Nests - Resident West Coast birds that have no period of male-female isolation initiate pairing in third week Jan to early Feb.Choose colony location first; then, specific nest site. Late in pairing phase, female lays claim to favored nest site and shows aggressive defense of chosen vicinity. Preferred nesting location over most of range, highly variable, but presence of nearby water is recurrent theme. Range of substrates supporting nests includes broad variety of coniferous and deciduous trees and shrubs, sagebrush, old cattails (Typha spp.), emergent vegetation overhanging water, on ground in rows of vegetable crops.

Eggs - Subelliptical to short-subelliptical or oval. Color, Highly variable: pale-gray to greenish-white ground color, occasionally with brown, pink, or violet suffusion. Clutch size usually 4 to 5 (range 3 to 7).

Incubation - Incubation by female only, period ranging from about 11–17 d 

Fledging - Throughout nesting range both parents feed young, with food delivery beginning soon after first nestling hatches; continues until fledglings become independent, at about 34–39 d of age.