March 11, 2024 - Yosemite National Park officials report that the birds are starting to notice the change of seasons. Spotted just before the storm last week, this flock of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), with perhaps a few Brewer’s blackbirds (Euphagus cyanocephalus) in the mix, was singing away up a tree near the welcome center in Yosemite Valley. At this distance, the males’ bold red and yellow shoulders are too difficult to see, but that resonating trill of their song is unmistakable. They’ll become more visible in the next few months when they move to nest in the sedge grasses of the meadows—the females weaving cups about five inches across between tall stalks, the males flaunting their bright epaulets as a warning to others who may want the space.

Distributed across the continent, these birds are not at all unique to Yosemite. You very well might hear some singing in a tree or on a reed in your neighborhood. If so, try to spend a moment with that charming trill they’re oft to repeat on end. It’s a celebration of spring that includes but resounds far beyond this valley.  

Video Description: The silhouettes of birds high up in the branches of tree under a gray sky. The birds sing loudly.

View video here and listen to the birds sing.

Source: Yosemite National Park