{"id":113552,"date":"2023-05-24T03:14:50","date_gmt":"2023-05-24T09:14:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=113552"},"modified":"2023-05-24T03:14:50","modified_gmt":"2023-05-24T09:14:50","slug":"urban-male-yellow-headed-blackbird-displaying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/05\/24\/urban-male-yellow-headed-blackbird-displaying\/","title":{"rendered":"Urban Male Yellow-headed Blackbird Displaying"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last month, I was thrilled to photograph this displaying male Yellow-headed Blackbird in an urban park near my home in Salt Lake County, Utah.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Yellow-headed Blackbird displaying on grass \u2013 Nikon D500, tripod mounted, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

In previous years, I hadn’t seen as many individuals of this blackbird species in my local park, so I was delighted to spot them there. The males were actively engaged in displaying, while the females I observed appeared to be busy searching for nesting locations.<\/p>\n

The songs and calls<\/span><\/a> of the male Yellow-headed Blackbirds grate on some people. I like hearing this species.<\/p>\n

\"SeriousSerious looking male Yellow-headed Blackbird \u2013 Nikon D500, tripod mounted, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I enjoyed photographing this male Yellow-headed Blackbird up close<\/span><\/a> and from a distance. I even liked taking photos of him when he wasn’t busy displaying. Some times he looked serious, there were even a few times he looked slightly comical because he was so serious looking.<\/p>\n

It has been a delight having this blackbird species so close to home this year.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Yellow-headed Blackbird photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last month, I was thrilled to photograph this displaying male Yellow-headed Blackbird in an urban park near my home in Salt Lake County, Utah.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":113142,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,709,26,427],"tags":[4004,3813,3483,779,3747,4062,10698,1984,5995,165,2520,8018,4178,1386],"class_list":["post-113552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","category-yellow-headed-blackbird","tag-adult","tag-blackbird","tag-blackbirds","tag-displaying","tag-grass","tag-male","tag-park","tag-pond","tag-serious","tag-spring","tag-territorial-display","tag-urban","tag-xanthocephalus-xanthocephalus","tag-yellow-headed-blackbird"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/yellow-headed-blackbird-male-displaying-on-grass-mia-mcpherson-5117.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-txu","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":113127,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/05\/01\/urban-male-yellow-headed-blackbird-portraits\/","url_meta":{"origin":113552,"position":0},"title":"Urban Male Yellow-headed Blackbird Portraits","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 1, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"While I was at my local pond yesterday, a male Yellow-headed Blackbird flew in close enough to me that I was able to take a few portraits of him.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Urban male Yellow-headed Blackbird up close, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/yellow-headed-blackbird-spring-male-mia-mcpherson-5012.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/yellow-headed-blackbird-spring-male-mia-mcpherson-5012.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/yellow-headed-blackbird-spring-male-mia-mcpherson-5012.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/yellow-headed-blackbird-spring-male-mia-mcpherson-5012.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4696,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/03\/30\/yellow-headed-blackbirds-friday-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":113552,"position":1},"title":"Yellow-headed Blackbirds – Friday Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 30, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Yellow-headed Blackbirds have begun to show up in large numbers in my area of the country. I'm seeing them perched on cattails, phragmites and in flight.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Yellow-headed Blackbird male displaying, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/yellow-headed-blackbird-1642.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/yellow-headed-blackbird-1642.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/yellow-headed-blackbird-1642.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/yellow-headed-blackbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherosn-5386.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/yellow-headed-blackbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherosn-5386.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/yellow-headed-blackbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherosn-5386.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/yellow-headed-blackbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherosn-5386.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51446,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/03\/29\/springtime-yellow-headed-blackbird-male\/","url_meta":{"origin":113552,"position":3},"title":"Springtime Yellow-headed Blackbird Male","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Yellow-head Blackbirds made their presence known at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge two days ago by displaying and because of their odd mechanical calls that sound like a rusty metal gate opening and closing.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Springtime Yellow-headed Blackbird, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/yellow-headed-blackbird-male-mia-mcpherson-9831.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/yellow-headed-blackbird-male-mia-mcpherson-9831.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/yellow-headed-blackbird-male-mia-mcpherson-9831.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/yellow-headed-blackbird-male-mia-mcpherson-9831.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21176,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/04\/04\/yellow-headed-blackbird-male-just-before-lift-off\/","url_meta":{"origin":113552,"position":4},"title":"Yellow-headed Blackbird Male Just Before Lift Off","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 4, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"To my delight the mechanical sounding calls of male Yellow-headed Blackbirds buzzed over the marshes of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday morning.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Yellow-headed Blackbird male just before lift off, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/yellow-headed-blackbird-male-lift-off-mia-mcpherson-3016.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/yellow-headed-blackbird-male-lift-off-mia-mcpherson-3016.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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