A Little Rusty

Rusty Blackbird, Euphagus carolinus

Yesterday I spotted a small group of Rusty Blackbirds foraging in a wooded area at Farm Island. I was excited because they were the first Rusty Blackbirds I had seen all year. Being a "little rusty" at blackbird identification, I had to consult my field guides before I knew for sure they were really Rusty Blackbirds. Later I did some research about Rusty Blackbirds and discovered that I am not the only one who is finding these birds to be few and far between. Rusty Blackbirds are in a precipitous population decline-- perhaps the steepest of any North American songbird. The decline is estimated at 85% to 95% since the 1960s. In 2005 a consortium called International Rusty Blackbird Technical Working Group was established to study this phenomenon and perhaps find a solution before it is too late. Rusty Blackbirds breed in boreal wetlands from New England to Alaska and winter in bottomland wooded wetlands in the southeastern U.S. Their need for wooded wetlands year-round, makes them less adaptable to habitat loss than other species. Not mentioned as a reason for their decline, but something that seems important to me is this: RUSTY BLACKBIRDS HAVE A TERRIBLE NAME! Now, I love blackbirds, but the word blackbird has plenty of negative meaning. WHO WANTS TO HELP SAVE BLACKBIRDS? Rusty Blackbirds are in the Icteridae family along with meadowlarks and orioles. Wouldn't people be more interested in helping to save the birds if they were called Rusty Meadowlarks or Rusty Orioles? So get over your negative feelings toward "blackbirds," whether those feelings include fear and loathing or just apathy and disinterest. Do what you can to help preserve this declining American bird.