BIRD BLITZ: If you’re already a bird watcher – and we know lots
of our readers are – we have a new one to add to your must-see
list: the North American rusty blackbird.

A Rusty Blackbird Blitz has been scheduled for Feb. 7-15, and is
an attempt to learn more about these birds whose numbers have
plummeted an estimated 85 to 99 percent over the past 40 years.
Although the exact cause for this alarming decline is not clear,
loss of habitat is one likely culprit. The blitz is an attempt to
learn more about how many birds are left, and where.

“Participants may look for ‘rusties’ anywhere they like, as many
times as they like, during the nine-day blitz, then report
sightings via the eBird program run by the Cornell Lab of
Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. The blitz is being
coordinated by the International Rusty Blackbird Technical Working
Group at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center along with the
Cornell Lab and Audubon.

“Data gathered will be used to create a map of wintering rusty
blackbird ‘hot spots’ that will help focus research, monitoring,
and conservation efforts,’ said eBird co-leader Brian Sullivan.
“We’re looking for the number of birds seen at each location, and
some basic habitat information.”

The focus of the blitz is on states that are known to be part of
the rusty’s winter range: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio,
Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (east),
Virginia, and West Virginia.

Unlike other species of blackbirds, the rusty blackbird inhabits
boreal wetlands of the far north during the breeding season and
spends its winters in bottomland wooded-wetlands, primarily in
American midwestern and southeastern states. Despite its drastic
decline, there is no monitoring program in place for these
birds.

Rusty blackbirds have pale “staring” eyes. In February, males
will appear mostly black and females will have rusty edges to the
wings and body. Two other species are more common and are sometimes
mistaken for the rusty. The common grackle is larger with a long
tail and larger bill. The female red-winged blackbird also
resembles the rusty but can be distinguished by bold streaking on
its underparts, whereas the rusty has plain underparts without
streaks.

Full details are available at the eBird website.