9 inches long. The Rusty Blackbird has a pale yellow eye and sharply pointed bill. In breeding plumage the male has entirely dull black plumage. In fall and winter the male has rusty feather edges and a pale eyebrow. The female is similar to the male in the summer but is mouse gray in color. In winter the female plumage is the same as the male but paler and she has a gray rump. The Rusty Blackbird is similar to a Brewer’s Blackbird but the male Brewer’s has a purple iridescence that is lacking in the Rusty. Also the female Brewer’s has a dark eye. Cowbirds are smaller with a more conical bill.
The Rusty Blackbird is an uncommon visitor during early spring and late fall migration. Possible dates are late February through mid May and October through December.
The Rusty Blackbird breeds to the far north in wet woodlands. It migrates in small flocks. During migration it favors wet areas in woodlands more than other Blackbirds. The Rusty Blackbird is not usually found in fields but can be found with mixed species flocks of other Blackbirds in the appropriate habitat. The song is a soft gurgle followed by a high creaky “kssh-dlleee”.
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