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Home/Species/ Yellow-headed Blackbird

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

(Bonaparte, 1826)

Yellow-headed Blackbird

G5Secure Found in 97 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.106463
Element CodeABPBXB3010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyIcteridae
GenusXanthocephalus
Other Common Names
Carouge à tête jaune (FR) Tordo Cabeza Amarilla (ES) yellow-headed blackbird (EN)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
See Twedt et al. (1992) for information on genetic variation in the northern Great Plains. See Twedt et al. (1994) for information on morphological variation in the northern Great Plains. These authors concluded that the population could be divided into two subpopulations based on morphology. However, they acknowledged that there is an overall clinal trend, and they found no genetic differentiation between the proposed subpopulations.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-10
Change Date1996-12-04
Range Extent Comments
BREEDS: central-interior British Columbia east to extreme western Ontario and northwestern Ohio, south to southern California, northeastern Baja California, New Mexico, northern Texas, northern Missouri, and northwestern Ohio. WINTERS: central California, central Arizona, southern New Mexico, and Texas south to southern Baja California, Oaxaca and Veracruz (AOU 1983), casually to Costa Rica, accidental in Panama.
Threat Impact Comments
Local declines have occurred due to wetland drainage, development, and succession toward closed marsh communities (Herkert 1992).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

BREEDING: Fresh-water marshes of cattail, tule or bulrushes (AOU 1983). The nest is a basketlike structure of wet grasses, reeds, cattails woven around stems. NON-BREEDING: In migration and winter also in open cultivated lands, pastures and fields (AOU 1983).

Ecology

Gregarious, often with much larger flocks of red-winged blackbirds in winter (Stiles and Skutch 1989).

Marsh wren may disrupt some nesting attempts (Bump 1986). In Manitoba, predation caused the failure of 51% of nests over two years, and the marsh wren was the most important nest predator (Picman and Isabelle 1995, Auk 112:183-191). Blackbird aggression may exclude marsh wrens from breeding areas (Leonard and Picman 1986). Small breeding territories, but forages up to 1.6 kilometers from nesting area (Willson 1966).

Reproduction

Clutch size is 3-5. Incubation lasts 12-13 days, by female. Young leave nest 9-12 days after hatching; unable to fly until about 21 days old (Terres 1980).
Terrestrial Habitats
Grassland/herbaceousCropland/hedgerow
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLAND
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5B
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS4BYes
QuebecSNAYes
SaskatchewanS5BYes
ManitobaS4BYes
AlbertaS5BYes
OntarioS2BYes
United StatesN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
IndianaS1BYes
UtahS4B,S3NYes
ArizonaS5Yes
North DakotaSNRBYes
KansasS2BYes
MissouriS4Yes
MinnesotaSNRBYes
Navajo NationS3BYes
GeorgiaS3Yes
WyomingS5B,S5NYes
New MexicoS4B,S5NYes
NevadaS4BYes
WashingtonS3N,S4BYes
KentuckySNAYes
MichiganS2Yes
CaliforniaS3Yes
ColoradoS5Yes
NebraskaS4Yes
North CarolinaSNAYes
TexasS3BYes
OklahomaS3NYes
WisconsinS1BYes
MontanaS5BYes
OregonS5Yes
South DakotaS5BYes
ArkansasSNAYes
New JerseySNAYes
IllinoisS2Yes
IdahoS4BYes
FloridaSNAYes
MassachusettsS1NYes
MississippiSNAYes
IowaS3B,S4NYes
AlabamaSNAYes
Roadless Areas (97)
Alaska (1)
AreaForestAcres
RhineTongass National Forest23,010
Arizona (3)
AreaForestAcres
Burro CanyonKaibab National Forest19,928
MazatzalTonto National Forest16,942
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
California (16)
AreaForestAcres
Birch CreekInyo National Forest28,816
Crystal CreekSan Bernardino National Forest6,783
Dexter CanyonInyo National Forest17,053
Dobie FlatModoc National Forest15,079
Excelsior (CA)Inyo National Forest45,607
Glass MountainInyo National Forest52,867
Granite PeakSan Bernardino National Forest450
Grouse LakesTahoe National Forest19,085
Horse Mdw.Inyo National Forest5,687
LavasModoc National Forest25,864
Log Cabin SaddlebagInyo National Forest15,165
Mt. JacksonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest20,721
Robinson PeakHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,835
Wild Horse Mtn. (CA)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest28,822
Wonoga Pk.Inyo National Forest11,272
WoolstaffSequoia National Forest41,445
Colorado (2)
AreaForestAcres
Dome PeakRoutt NF35,716
HermosaSan Juan NF148,103
Idaho (6)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
HoodooNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest153,868
Italian PeakCaribou-Targhee National Forest141,158
PalisadesCaribou-Targhee National Forest122,002
Peace RockBoise National Forest191,734
SeceshPayette National Forest248,088
Montana (18)
AreaForestAcres
Allan Mountain (01946)Bitterroot National Forest104,184
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLolo National Forest118,485
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLewis and Clark National Forest344,022
Bmss Ra 1485Flathead National Forest334,275
BridgerGallatin National Forest45,059
Buckhorn Ridge (MT)Kootenai National Forest34,716
Cube Iron - SilcoxLolo National Forest36,998
Freezeout MountainBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest97,305
Gallatin FringeGallatin National Forest51,571
Hyalite - Porcupine - Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study AreaGallatin National Forest143,991
MadisonGallatin National Forest127,859
Mt. Gmt Area HCuster National Forest1,335
North AbsarokaGallatin National Forest159,075
North AbsarokaCuster National Forest21,063
North Big HoleBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest52,227
Selway - Bitterroot (01067)Bitterroot National Forest114,953
West Big HoleBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest133,563
West PioneerBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest248,631
Nevada (8)
AreaForestAcres
Bald Mtn.Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest41,598
Four MileHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest24,093
Jobs Peak (NV)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,342
Pearl PeakHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest71,405
Rose - VerdiHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,155
Santa RosaHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest54,555
South SchellHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest125,614
Table Mtn. - EastHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest87,789
New Mexico (4)
AreaForestAcres
Candian RiverCibola National Forest7,149
Canyon CreekGila National Forest9,824
Contiguous To Black & Aldo Leopold WildernessGila National Forest111,883
South Guadalupe MountainsLincoln National Forest20,930
North Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
SheyenneDakota Prairie Grasslands14,537
Oregon (5)
AreaForestAcres
Crane MountainFremont National Forest23,096
HellholeUmatilla National Forest65,679
MarshWinema National Forest1,226
Sky Lakes AWinema National Forest3,940
West - South BachelorDeschutes National Forest25,994
South Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Indian CreekBuffalo Gap National Grassland24,666
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Utah (17)
AreaForestAcres
0401001Ashley National Forest11,705
0401024Ashley National Forest12,882
0419020Ashley National Forest355,684
418024Uinta National Forest51,699
418025Uinta National Forest32,698
418029Uinta National Forest15,673
Beehive PeakFishlake National Forest59,137
Burch CreekWasatch-Cache National Forest6,938
FishhookDixie National Forest12,959
Fishlake MountainFishlake National Forest25,217
Mt. AireWasatch-Cache National Forest9,681
Mt. NaomiWasatch-Cache National Forest41,922
Mt. Um Plateau - Mt TerrillFishlake National Forest17,490
North FrancisWasatch-Cache National Forest8,148
Swan Creek MountainWasatch-Cache National Forest9,390
Temple PeakWasatch-Cache National Forest24,081
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
Washington (3)
AreaForestAcres
Abercrombie - HooknoseColville National Forest33,862
Granite MountainOkanogan National Forest27,428
SawtoothOkanogan National Forest122,194
Wyoming (11)
AreaForestAcres
Grayback RidgeBridger-Teton National Forest295,113
Gros Ventre MountainsBridger-Teton National Forest106,418
Munger MountainBridger-Teton National Forest12,827
Pacific Creek - Blackrock CreekBridger-Teton National Forest24,658
PalisadesTarghee National Forest1,121
South Beartooth HighwayShoshone National Forest105,570
Spread Creek - Gros Ventre RiverBridger-Teton National Forest166,097
Teton Corridor TrailheadsBridger-Teton National Forest286
West Slope TetonsTarghee National Forest47,448
West Slope WindsBridger-Teton National Forest143,252
Wilderness Study AreaTarghee National Forest51,961
References (42)
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