Subject: RW Blackbird/Starling cross?
Date: Apr 20 21:31:33 2003
From: Abby Jaworski - carpe.diem4 at verizon.net


I'd like to know the answer to this question, also. I've had two or three birds show up in my yard that fit this description. They look and sound like red-winged blackbirds, but have the coloration exactly described below. My uneducated thought was that these were females with odd colorations, but the thought of a RW and starling cross entered my mind as well.

Would love to hear any responses on this.

Abby
Beaverton, OR

----- Original Message -----
From: B. A. Wolfe
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2003 7:20 PM
Subject: RW Blackbird/Starling cross?


Hi tweets,
Was down visiting family in Tri-Cities this weekend. At my mom's feeder, she frequently gets Red-winged Blackbirds (she always calls them "river birds"). Anyway, this morning, my wife and I were looking out the window to the feeder and saw what sounded and looked like a RW, but had odd coloration. First off, there was no actual red in the epaulettes, it was yellow and white. And on the body, it had the spotty coloration of a starling. It sounded like a RW, and had shoulder marks, just the wrong coloration, and the body was glossy black but with starling spottiness. Any ideas? I would assume that RW's and starlings can interbreed, but have never seen or heard evidence or anything about it. I'd love to hear if anyone else has seen or heard anything similar. Thanks!

Brett A. Wolfe gismybabe at yahoo.com Seattle, WA





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