Bird
Bird
Red-breasted Blackbird
Leistes militaris
The Red-breasted Blackbird is a striking grassland bird of Trinidad and Tobago, the male's vivid scarlet throat and breast against an otherwise black body making it one of the most eye-catching birds of open savanna and pastureland.
The Red-breasted Blackbird is a striking grassland bird of Trinidad and Tobago, the male's vivid scarlet throat and breast against an otherwise black body making it one of the most eye-catching birds of open savanna and pastureland.
Identification
A medium-sized bird around 19 to 20 cm long. The male is glossy black overall with a bright scarlet-red throat, breast, and upper belly, an intense contrast that makes displaying males highly conspicuous over open grassland. The female is entirely different in appearance, streaked brown above and buffy below with a faint reddish wash on the underparts, closely resembling a large sparrow and providing effective camouflage in grass.
Ecology
The Red-breasted Blackbird feeds on seeds and insects, foraging on the ground and in low grass in open savanna, pastureland, and agricultural grassland. Males perform a distinctive fluttering display flight over their territory, showing off the bright red breast while singing, and often perch prominently on fence posts or tall grass stems to advertise territory boundaries. Nests are well concealed on the ground in dense grass, built and tended primarily by the female.
Status in T&T
Found in open savanna and pastureland on both Trinidad and Tobago, generally favouring extensive grassland with scattered perches. It is not threatened. It is protected under the Conservation of Wildlife Act and is not a game species.
Threats
- Loss of open grassland to development and intensive agriculture
