red-winged blackbird

American  

[red-wingd] / ˈrɛdˌwɪŋd /

noun

1. a North American blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus, the male of which is black with scarlet patches, usually bordered with buff or yellow, on the bend of the wing.

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Etymology

Origin of red-winged blackbird

First recorded in 1770–80

Example Sentences

She has created large canvases, embellished formal gloves and a gown, and—most shockingly—a decorated taxidermied goat covered in a menagerie of stitched animals, including a mischievous red-winged blackbird and a cheery possum.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025

Every morning, at this time of year, a red-winged blackbird greets me as I walk down the street.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2025

His “spark bird,” at 9, was the red-winged blackbird, which flocked to his homemade bird feeder in his suburban Long Island yard.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2024

A lone red-winged blackbird kept up a steady chatter as we both lingered above the wetlands on a raised observation platform.

From New York Times • Jun. 21, 2022

Some little time after, a fussy red-winged blackbird came bustling into the thicket, perhaps to hunt for drowsy night-moths asleep on the under sides of the twigs.

From Hoof and Claw by Roberts, Charles George Douglas, Sir