Birdland: Sounds Like A Rusty Hinge

With golden heads and white patches on their black wings, Yellow-headed Blackbirds are striking — that is, when they make an appearance. These birds spend a substantial amount of time hanging out in cattails and nesting out of view in reeds directly over bodies of water. You may not see them right away, but listen closely and you’ll hear them. The bird’s unmistakeable song sounds just like an old rusty farm gate being opened. This Yellow-headed Blackbird was photographed at Bluff Lake just a few miles east of Park Hill by Mark Silverstein.