Brewer's blackbird is a medium-sized New World blackbird. It is named after the ornithologist Thomas Mayo Brewer.
Region
North America
Typical Environment
Brewer's blackbird is widespread across western and central North America, breeding from southern Canada through much of the western United States and into parts of the Great Plains. It favors open habitats such as agricultural fields, grasslands, sagebrush flats, marsh edges, and urban parks and lots. The species readily exploits human-altered landscapes and often forages along shorelines and irrigation ditches. Northern breeders migrate south to winter across the southern United States and northern Mexico, while many western populations are resident.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 3000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Brewer's blackbird is a medium-sized New World blackbird named after ornithologist Thomas Mayo Brewer. Males shine with purple and green iridescence, while females are plain brownish-gray. Often comfortable around people, they forage in parking lots, fields, and parks, and can form large flocks outside the breeding season.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
direct flight with short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Outside the breeding season, Brewer's blackbirds form sizable flocks, often mixing with other blackbirds and starlings. During breeding, pairs may nest semi-colonially in shrubs, small trees, or reedbeds, with the female building a cup nest. Males defend small territories and perform display postures with puffed plumage and raised head.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
The song is a short, buzzy series of squeaky, metallic notes, often introduced by a thin whistle. Calls include sharp 'chuk' and harsh rasping sounds, delivered from exposed perches or during display.
Plumage
Male glossy black with strong iridescence—purplish on the head and greenish on the body; female uniform brownish-gray with a slightly paler throat and minimal gloss.
Diet
An opportunistic omnivore, it eats insects (beetles, grasshoppers, ants), spiders, and other invertebrates, especially during the breeding season. It also consumes seeds, grains, and berries, and will scavenge crumbs and human food waste in urban areas. Along shorelines and shallow water it picks aquatic insects and small invertebrates.
Preferred Environment
Typically forages on open ground in fields, lawns, parking lots, and pasture, walking and probing for food. It also feeds along lake and pond margins, marsh edges, and recently disturbed soils.
