red-winged blackbird

noun

: a North American blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) of which the adult male is black with a patch of bright scarlet at the bend of the wings bordered behind with yellow or buff

called also redwing blackbird

Examples of red-winged blackbird in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Most of these birds are red-winged blackbirds heading back north. Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 There was an unusual number of red-winged blackbirds that day, their calls piercing the air. Jessica Francis Kane, Harper's Magazine, 20 Nov. 2023 Many birds: chickadees, cardinals, the occasional red-winged blackbird although the river was not near. Jessica Francis Kane, Harper's Magazine, 20 Nov. 2023 Males and females of other species, such as the red-winged blackbird, a common denizen of lakes and marshes, also use habitat in different ways. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 July 2023 In fact, on New Year’s Eve 2010, about 5,000 red-winged blackbirds died when professional fireworks were illegally set off in Arkansas. Mary Jo Dilonardo, Treehugger, 28 June 2023 Flocks of birds are settling in — swallows, wrens, ducks, egrets, chattering red-winged blackbirds. Shawn Hubler Mark Abramson, New York Times, 25 June 2023 There are red-winged blackbirds in the reeds. John Kelly, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2023 The arrival of a red-winged blackbird in the first few weeks of March, for example, is a promising clue that spring is headed to the Northeast. Time, 14 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'red-winged blackbird.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1769, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of red-winged blackbird was circa 1769

Dictionary Entries Near red-winged blackbird

Cite this Entry

“Red-winged blackbird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red-winged%20blackbird. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

red-winged blackbird

noun
ˌred-ˌwiŋd-
: an American blackbird of which the adult male is black with a patch of bright red on the wing

called also redwing blackbird

More from Merriam-Webster on red-winged blackbird

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