Bird · GBIF taxon 2484183
Brewer's Blackbird
Euphagus cyanocephalusAlso known as Blue-headed Blackbird
Brewer's blackbirds are highly social songbirds renowned for walking briskly across open fields, parks, and parking lots in search of food. Males display a striking iridescent gloss with purplish heads and bright yellow eyes, while females wear subtler gray-brown tones with dark irises. Nesting in loose colonies, breeding pairs aggressively mob potential predators, including domestic cats and humans who wander too close to their young.
SocialIridescentSongbird
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Near ThreatenedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNear ThreatenedRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Grasshoppers
- Beetles
- Seeds
Predators
- Hawks
- Owls
- Domestic Cats
ThreatsPesticide reduction of insect prey and agricultural land changes
HabitatsAgricultural fields, urban parks, coastal bluffs, and grasslands
Life span5–10 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyIcteridae
- GenusEuphagus
- SpeciesEuphagus cyanocephalus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Identify males by glossy black plumage, purplish heads, and striking pale yellow eyes.
- Support conservation
- Maintain a respectful distance around colony trees to avoid nest disturbance.
Responsible observation
- Spotting Males: Look for bright yellow eyes and purplish head sheen in direct sunlight.
- Spring Caution: Avoid walking directly under nesting trees as parents aggressively mob passersby.
- Observing Flocks: Watch them forage on mown lawns or agricultural fields in late summer.
Nest Parasite (c) cello caruso-turiello, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by cello caruso-turiello · cc-by
Competitor Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) leppyone, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Family Relative (c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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