Species 74: At Risk

The Rusty Blackbird is a migrant on its way North after spending the winter here. I was lucky enough to catch them at Central Park today. Anywhere there are relatively clean, wooded creeks with lots of leaf litter, there should be this bird. Unfortunately, their populations have been on the decline the last several decades, probably due to loss of this habitat. While it's nice to see them in the heart of NYC, it's been several years since I saw them last. Despite the nagging feeling at the back of my mind, I always hate to think this is a "Last chance to see" situation. There is a national campaign in place, the Rusty Blackbird Blitz, to track them in their wintering habitat in the US. Hopefully with some more attention, conservation scientists can begin to understand the cause of the decline of this beautiful species.

(above) Male in breeding plumage
(below) "Rusty" winter plumage

Row #	Species	Count	Location	S/P	Date
74	Rusty Blackbird	3	Central Park--The Ramble	US-NY	27-Mar-10