Aside from being one of the most common birds in North America, the red-winged blackbird has a neat trick. Its distinctive red epaulets show up after the bird turns a year old, but they’re not always visible. During mating season, the male red-winged blackbird puffs up his red feathers to show off and help attract a mate. Sure, he also has bright yellow, but it’s the red that the lady birds love.
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