Males have a similar plumage in all times of the year except the breeding season, but when spring comes the back of their necks get bright yellow patchs and rumps and the shoulders turn white with black body. This patterning of colours gives them their local name of skunkbirds. American blackbirds have evolved unique a technique of gaping for finding their food which includes small insects. It pushes its closed bill into the hollow stem from the side, and then opens it with a great force which splits the stem. Thus it reaches small insects, grubs and spiders which are hiding inside the hollow, away from the ever searching eyes of predators.
Redwinged blackbirds are America s most numerous landbirds and also the greatest bird pests.
Another estimate reveals that roosts in reed-beds sometimes contain birds at a density of more than 25 lakhs individuals per hectare. As far as the the role of this bird as bird pest is concerned, it inflicts heavy losses on agriculture. A survey conducted in the year 1970 and 1971 in USA showed nationwide losses to the tune of about 2 crore dollars to ripening corn only. New world orioles, another relative of these birds, are very clever. They build their hanging nests, similar to those of the weaver-birds, near wasp nests which gives them security against predators and mischievous animals like monkeys.