Lee and all,

Mark your calendar and open a free eBird account
(http://ebird.org/content/ebird/). The third annual Rusty Blackbird Hotspot
Blitz needs your help locating Rusty Blackbirds, January 30 to February 15,
2011!

Rusty Blackbirds are no longer common or abundant as many early observers
noted. The species is in steep decline for reasons not fully understood. The
most recent published estimate by leading investigators suggests an 88%
decline during the previous four decades (Greenberg et al, November 2010
Condor). Rusty Blackbirds winter in Ohio in small numbers compared to
populations found in primary winter range in the SE United States.

During Ohio cold spells when snow is on the ground, rusties appear at
feeders--a secondary foraging choice. They normally forage invertebrates by
flipping leaves and debris in swamps and moist pools in woodlands.
Alternatively, they choose grains. We see them in corn stubble with other
blackbirds if we scan flocks carefully.

to be continued...

Tom Bain
Ohio Coordinator
Rusty Blackbird Hotspot Blitz

-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lee
Underschultz
Sent: Monday, December 27, 2010 8:55 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Ohio-birds] Rusty blackbirds

I had a Rusty Blackbird scouting out the feeders today. I thought it was a
cowbird until I looked though my binoculars and saw its light iris'. I saw
another one around a week ago and then saw what I thought was a bunch of
cowbirds. Now I am wondering if they might have been Rusty Blackbirds. Are
they very common?

Lee Underschultz
Firefly Hollow
Little Hocking, OH
www.fhsigns.com
[log in to unmask]

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______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
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Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]