The Rusty Blackbird is one of the least common blackbirds to appear in Arizona. This medium-sized icterid, measuring about 8.5–9.8 inches long and weighing 1.7–2.8 ounces, is native to boreal forests of Canada and Alaska, where it breeds in bogs and wet woodlands. In Arizona it is considered a rare winter visitor and migrant, typically reported in small numbers at wetlands, ponds, and riparian habitats in the southeastern part of the state, including places such as El Rio Preserve in Marana and along the San Pedro River. Males in breeding plumage are glossy black with a greenish sheen, while in winter both sexes are duller brownish-black, with females showing more grayish brown tones and a pale eyebrow. Their foraging behavior often involves flipping over leaves in shallow water or mud to feed on aquatic insects, invertebrates, and seeds. Though never abundant in Arizona, confirmed records extend back decades, reflecting both the species’ wide but sparse wintering distribution and its ongoing long-term population decline, which has been estimated at more than 80% in recent decades. Sightings in the state are of particular interest to birders given the Rusty Blackbird’s status as one of North America’s fastest-declining songbirds. The one in the photograph below has lost its tail.
