Rusty Blackbird - Status: Vulnerable

In the early afternoon of 7 November 2014), I drove over to the east end of Fish Creek Park and was lucky enough to see two of these beautiful Rusty Blackbirds. IUCN Status: Vulnerable. Think I've only ever seen this species once before, so this was a thrill. The previous time was when a few of us we saw a total of 16 of them along the edge of the Bow River on 28 October 2012, between Hull's Wood and LaFarge Meadow. It was interesting to watch this one when it flew down to the very tiny stream below this tree and pick up and then toss aside endless leaves to check underneath them for food. Eventually, it did find a big, fat, juicy water worm or slug of some kind, and eat it.

“The Rusty Blackbird is one of North America’s most rapidly declining species. The population has plunged an estimated 85-99 percent over the past forty years and scientists are completely puzzled as to what is the cause. They are relatively uncommon denizens of wooded swamps, breeding in the boreal forest and wintering in the eastern U.S. In winter, they travel in small flocks and are identified by their distinctive rusty feather edges and pallid yellow eyes.” From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/rusty_blackbird/id

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rusty_blackbird

rustyblackbird.org/