Brewer's Blackbird

Euphagus cyanocephalus

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

23 cm (9") Common western blackbird. Open areas; fields, farms, parks, roadsides.

Yellow eyes. Forages in large flocks with other blackbirds.

Male: black year-round with purplish sheen on head and green tint on body. Similar Rusty Blackbird may in good light show a greenish sheen on head and has a longer bill.

Female: grayish brown with dark eyes. Similar Rusty Blackbird has a light eye and a longer bill.

Song: harsh wheezy creaking gurgles and whistles; call is "camera shutter" cluck.

Details in the field

Photo gallery

4 photos

Female - Las Vegas suburb, Nevada, USA - November 8, 2010

Credit: Lip Kee Yap

Male - Monterey, California, US - December 26, 2012

Credit: Ken Schneider

Female - Mono Mills, California, US - September 21, 2011

Credit: Len Blumin

Credit: Linda Tanner

Watch and learn

Videos

1 video

Brewer's Blackbird

Credit: Larry Bond

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 4 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Brewer's Blackbird (Male)

2 rules

Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 7

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour were the EYES ?: White or light gray · Yellow or olive · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:986-brewers-blackbird-male:1:1 Source: 986 Brewer's Blackbird (Male), row 1

Rule 2 13 criteria confidence 2

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour were the EYES ?: White or light gray · Yellow or olive · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:986-brewers-blackbird-male:2:1 Source: 986 Brewer's Blackbird (Male), row 2

Brewer's Blackbird (Female)

2 rules

Rule 1 18 criteria confidence 7

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Uniform · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Uniform color · Streaked lengthwise (from head to tail) · Barred crosswise (from side to side) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour were the EYES ?: Brown or blackish brown · Black or dark gray · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:987-brewers-blackbird-female:1:1 Source: 987 Brewer's Blackbird (Female), row 1

Rule 2 18 criteria confidence 2

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Uniform · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Uniform color · Streaked lengthwise (from head to tail) · Barred crosswise (from side to side) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour were the EYES ?: Brown or blackish brown · Black or dark gray · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:987-brewers-blackbird-female:2:1 Source: 987 Brewer's Blackbird (Female), row 2