Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus), private yard, Pioneer Valley Subdivision, Flagstaff, Coconino County

This Rusty Blackbird was discovered and photographed by Pam Koch on 25 January 2012

There are about 25 accepted records for the state, with two more reports pending.  This is the first Rusty Blackbird ever reported in Flagstaff and the second in Coconino County

In this plumage, female Rusty Blackbirds are essentially unmistakable. They are similar in size and shape to the much more common Brewer's Blackbird, but they have a noticeably thinner and shorter bill. The pale eye is unlike female Brewer's, but is shared with male Brewer's. The crown, cheeks, and back are all colored a rich, rusty brown, and all of the wing coverts and tertial edges are edged broadly in the same color. A pale and contrasting buffy brow separates the darker crown from dark face. One of the most striking field marks in this plumage is the contrasting blue-gray rump and uppertail coverts - a mark that Brewer's never shows.

25 January 2012, photo by Pam Koch

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