{"id":60640,"date":"2019-10-02T05:54:06","date_gmt":"2019-10-02T11:54:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=60640"},"modified":"2025-10-30T18:18:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T23:18:12","slug":"male-red-winged-blackbird-on-a-sunflower-perch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/10\/02\/male-red-winged-blackbird-on-a-sunflower-perch\/","title":{"rendered":"Male Red-winged Blackbird On A Sunflower Perch"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MaleMale Red-winged Blackbird perched on a sunflower – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Red-winged Blackbirds in northern Utah have finished nesting for the year and have begun to form large flocks to forage and roost together for the now chilly nights.<\/p>\n

Autumn is a time when the seeds of many plants that the Red-winged Blackbirds feed upon have ripened and the birds are taking full advantage of the season’s bounty and spend a large part of their days foraging.<\/p>\n

While we have native sunflowers in the state of Utah we also have domesticated varieties that are planted in fields and gardens that birds love to feast on. There is a pumpkin patch near the nature center at Farmington Bay WMA<\/span><\/a> where sunflowers are planted next to the road and birds come into to eat the seeds at this time of the year which is where this photo was taken last week.<\/p>\n

When I first saw this male Red-winged Blackbird it was hanging upside down and plucking the seeds from the sunflower but I couldn’t see the eyes of the bird. It didn’t take long for the blackbird to right itself on the seed head and look in my direction. I’ll be looking for more birds to photograph on these sunflowers for the next few weeks.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

Autumn is a time when the seeds of many plants that the Red-winged Blackbirds feed upon have ripened and the birds are taking full advantage of the season’s bounty and spend a large part of their days foraging.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":162394,"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":[27,1022,697,419,26],"tags":[4004,4151,3813,3483,4062,4497,4324,5340,1275,105],"class_list":["post-60640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-red-winged-blackbirds","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-agelaius-phoeniceus","tag-blackbird","tag-blackbirds","tag-male","tag-pumpkin-patch","tag-red-winged-blackbird","tag-seed-head","tag-sunflower-seeds","tag-sunflowers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-young-male-sunflower-mia-mcpherson-0153.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-fM4","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":49384,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/11\/11\/female-red-winged-blackbird-eating-wild-sunflower-seeds-in-autumn\/","url_meta":{"origin":60640,"position":0},"title":"Female Red-winged Blackbird Eating Wild Sunflower Seeds In Autumn","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Many species of birds on Antelope Island State Park are pigging out on wild sunflower seeds at this time of the year including Red-winged Blackbirds.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Red-winged Blackbird eating wild sunflower seeds, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-female-sunflower-mia-mcpherson-6333.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-female-sunflower-mia-mcpherson-6333.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-female-sunflower-mia-mcpherson-6333.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-female-sunflower-mia-mcpherson-6333.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":31251,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/10\/29\/autumn-red-winged-blackbird-at-farmington-bay\/","url_meta":{"origin":60640,"position":1},"title":"Autumn Red-winged Blackbird at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 29, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week I photographed this male Red-winged Blackbird on the top of a cattail from the side of the road. I was only able to get a few images before this blackbird flew away.","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":"Autumn Red-winged Blackbird, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-male-mia-mcpherson-5922.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-male-mia-mcpherson-5922.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-male-mia-mcpherson-5922.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49032,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/10\/19\/juvenile-red-winged-blackbird-male-diving-towards-the-ground\/","url_meta":{"origin":60640,"position":2},"title":"Immature Red-winged Blackbird Male Diving Towards The Ground","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 19, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The plumage of male juvenile Red-winged Blackbirds is highly variable during their first year, some of the young blackbirds can look like females and some can look more like adult males.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature male Red-winged Blackbird diving towards the ground, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-male-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-9524.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-male-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-9524.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-male-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-9524.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-male-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-9524.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6435,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/10\/26\/pumpkin-patch-birds\/","url_meta":{"origin":60640,"position":3},"title":"Pumpkin Patch Birds – Red-winged Blackbirds and White-crowned Sparrows","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 26, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"There is a rather large Pumpkin Patch near the road going to the Nature Center at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area where I like to photograph birds. They have a straw maze and all kinds of activities for children too.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult White-crowned Sparrow with a Pumpkin Patch in the background, northern Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-pumpkin-patch-mia-mcpherson-3070.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-pumpkin-patch-mia-mcpherson-3070.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-pumpkin-patch-mia-mcpherson-3070.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-pumpkin-patch-mia-mcpherson-3070.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42961,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/11\/03\/red-winged-blackbird-perched-in-rabbitbrush-fluff\/","url_meta":{"origin":60640,"position":4},"title":"Red-winged Blackbird Perched In Rabbitbrush Fluff","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 3, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Several of the Red-winged Blackbirds were feeding on the fluffy rabbitbrush seeds next to a parking area including this male.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-winged Blackbird male perched in rabbitbrush, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-male-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-9869.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-male-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-9869.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-male-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-9869.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-male-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-9869.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":141525,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/03\/12\/male-red-winged-blackbird-on-corn-stalks\/","url_meta":{"origin":60640,"position":5},"title":"Male Red-winged Blackbird On Corn Stalks","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"On my most recent trip to Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, I photographed an immature male Red-winged Blackbird perched on a corn stalk in a field.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young male Red-winged Blackbird at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/red-winged-blackbird-male-end-winter-mia-mcpherson-7443.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/red-winged-blackbird-male-end-winter-mia-mcpherson-7443.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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