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About this sound
With the return of spring, comes the chattering of the red-winged blackbird. The male is black and has a red patch with a yellow boarder on its shoulder. The female is identified by heavily streaked brown plumage that has a reddish tint on the shoulder. These birds return to the pond in mid-March to breed, enjoy the summer and raise their young. The pond created an oasis in an otherwise dry land. This wetland plays an important role as a resting place in the migratory path of many birds including the occasional yellow-headed blackbird. The cattails become a safe hiding place for migrating birds. Listen! Cattails often make a rustling sound while swaying against each other. This can be a peaceful sound or it can be the sound of danger. A predator moving through the cattails is like an alarm going off. Sneaking up on the nesting birds becomes more difficult. Before the snow flies in late September or early October, the red-winged blackbirds head for the warmth of Central and South America. They leave behind only a footprint in the mud to be covered by winter snows and an abandoned nest ripped away by the wind. One thing we can count on is that as long as this pond is healthy, spring will bring with it the kong-ka-ree song of the red-winged blackbird.
Why parks record sound
The NPS Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division monitors soundscapes in parks across the United States. Natural quiet is treated as a resource to protect, like clean air or dark skies: noise from aircraft, vehicles and machinery can mask animal communication and change the experience of a place.
More sounds
Pond Trail Sign 6: The Power of Nature
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Pond Trail Sign 2: The City
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Pond Trail Sign 3: Metamorphosis
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Pond Trail Sign 4: Tracks
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Pond Trail Sign 1: Wildland Romance
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Sources & credits
- Pond Trail Sign 5: Migration by US National Park Service – Public domain