red-winged blackbird

American  

[red-wingd] / ˈrɛdˌwɪŋd /

noun

1. a North American blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus, the male of which is black with scarlet patches, usually bordered with buff or yellow, on the bend of the wing.

---

Etymology

Origin of red-winged blackbird

First recorded in 1770–80

Example Sentences

She has created large canvases, embellished formal gloves and a gown, and—most shockingly—a decorated taxidermied goat covered in a menagerie of stitched animals, including a mischievous red-winged blackbird and a cheery possum.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025

Every morning, at this time of year, a red-winged blackbird greets me as I walk down the street.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2025

His “spark bird,” at 9, was the red-winged blackbird, which flocked to his homemade bird feeder in his suburban Long Island yard.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2024

Kathrin visits often and was familiar with how in cold weather a lustily-singing red-winged blackbird creates what look like smoke rings with its exhalations.

From Washington Post • Jul. 24, 2019

But the rich man's heart is heavy, With gloom and fear opprest; For he knows the red-winged blackbird As an evil-minded pest, And the golden brown-eyed sunflower Is only a weed, at best!

From In Times Like These by McClung, Nellie L.