Birds Active during the day

Brewer's Blackbird

Euphagus cyanocephalus

iNaturalist eBird Wikipedia

Bold, social, and strikingly iridescent, the Brewer's Blackbird is a master of the modern landscape. Known for their piercing yellow eyes and confident stride, these birds bring a flash of metallic color to backyards across the West.

0 Sightings

0 Habitats

Quick Identification

straighten

Size

Length: 20-26 cm (8-10 in); Wingspan: 37-40 cm (15-16 in); Weight: 50-70 g (1.8-2.5 oz)

palette

Colors

Males are glossy black with an iridescent purple sheen on the head and green on the body; females are a subtle, uniform grayish-brown.

visibility

Key Features

Striking pale yellow to white eyes in males
Iridescent purple head and greenish body sheen
Straight, sharply pointed black bill
Walking gait rather than hopping

When You’ll See Them

schedule

Activity pattern Active during the day

brightness_5

Peak hours 6-11 AM and 3-6 PM

calendar_month

Season Year-round

restaurant

Diet Omnivorous; primarily eats insects (beetles, grasshoppers, and caterpillars) during the summer, switching to seeds, grains, and small fruits in the winter.

park

Habitat Open and semi-open areas including grasslands, agricultural fields, suburban parks, and shoreline scrub.

public Geographic range

Where Does the Brewer's Blackbird Live?

The Brewer's Blackbird is a quintessentially North American species, primarily found across the western and central portions of the continent. Their core range extends from the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Manitoba down through the western United States and into central Mexico. While they were originally birds of the open plains, they have successfully expanded eastward into the Great Lakes region, following human development and forest clearing. Today, they are permanent residents in much of the West, while populations in the northern prairies migrate south to the United States and Mexico for the winter months.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

3 Countries

3.8M km² Range

Least Concern Conservation

US United States CA Canada MX Mexico

eco

iNaturalist / Verified observation data

View on iNaturalist open_in_new

Explore more Birds arrow_forward

Behavior

Brewer's Blackbirds are highly social and intelligent birds that are often seen in small to large flocks, especially outside of the breeding season. They are remarkably bold around humans, frequently patrolling park benches, outdoor cafes, and parking lots for crumbs. Unlike many other songbirds that hop, Brewer's Blackbirds have a distinctive, rhythmic walk that they use while foraging on the ground.

During the nesting season, they become fiercely territorial and are known to dive-bomb potential predators—including humans—that get too close to their nests. Their communication is a complex mix of metallic 'chek' calls and wheezing, creaking songs that sound a bit like a rusty gate hinge. They often forage in mixed flocks with other blackbirds and starlings, showing a high degree of social flexibility.

photo_camera EverydayEarth exclusive

Camera Tips

To capture the best footage of Brewer's Blackbirds, your camera should be positioned low to the ground. These birds are terrestrial foragers, spending most of their time walking across lawns or dirt patches. Mounting your AI camera on a short stake about 6 to 12 inches off the ground, angled slightly upward, will provide a dramatic 'bird's eye view' of their iridescent plumage and striking white eyes. Place the camera near a flat, open area rather than in dense brush.

Water is a massive draw for this species. A ground-level bird bath or a shallow stone basin will attract them for both drinking and vigorous bathing. If you are using a feeder to lure them, skip the hanging tubes and opt for a large platform feeder or simply scatter cracked corn and sunflower hearts directly on a clean patch of ground. They are much more comfortable feeding on a flat surface where they can walk freely.

Because the males have highly reflective, iridescent feathers, lighting is critical. Position your camera so the sun is behind it (facing north or south) to avoid silhouettes. The morning sun will highlight the purple and green sheens that otherwise look plain black in deep shade. Set your camera's trigger sensitivity to high, as these birds move quickly and often travel in groups; a multi-shot burst or a 15-second video clip is best for capturing their social interactions and 'head-up' territorial displays.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Brewer's Blackbird.

Common Grackle

Larger with a significantly longer, keel-shaped tail and a heavier bill.

Brown-headed Cowbird

Smaller with a shorter, thicker 'finch-like' bill; males have a brown head and dark eyes.

Rusty Blackbird

Very similar pale eye, but prefers wooded swamps and has more rusty-edged feathers in winter.

Browse all Birds arrow_forward

Frequently Asked Questions

Brewer's Blackbirds are diurnal and most active during the daylight hours. You will see a peak in activity in the early morning shortly after sunrise and again in the late afternoon as they forage heavily before heading to communal roosts for the night.

The best way to attract them is by providing a ground-level water source and offering grains like cracked corn or black oil sunflower seeds on a platform feeder. Maintaining an open lawn area where they can walk and hunt for insects is also highly effective.

Their diet is seasonally varied. In the spring and summer, they focus on high-protein insects like grasshoppers and crickets. In the fall and winter, they transition to eating seeds, waste grain from fields, and small berries.

Yes, they are highly adapted to human environments. They are frequently found in suburban parks, schoolyards, and residential backyards, often becoming quite tame around people in outdoor dining areas.

Brewer's Blackbirds are smaller with shorter tails than Common Grackles. While both have yellow eyes, the male Brewer's has a distinct purple sheen on the head and a green sheen on the body, whereas Grackles often look more bronze or uniformly purple-blue.

Record Brewer's Blackbird at your habitat

Connect a camera to start building your own species record — AI identifies every visitor automatically.

Join free Identify a photo