The following article was written by Cielo Gutierrez Kuhaupt, a summer intern at the Woodland Dunes Nature Center.
Red symbolizes warning, and I wonder if the red-winged blackbirds were a partial reason for this connotation. Being one of the most abundant birds in North America, it is nearly impossible to not encounter their highly protective nature- especially since they spend more than a quarter of daylight hours in territory defense! Mine happened when I went for a run during early summer (nesting season) of 2023 on my typical route. Within a third of a mile, the red-winged blackbird greeted me with a “Ku nam wi cu!” at an uncomfortably loud volume as he tried to pull my hair. Usually birds are trying to get away from me, but this time it was the other way around.
With such a distinct appearance of glossy black plumage and epaulettes of scarlet with a yellow border, it was easy to remember this type of bird and describe it to others. A lot of people experienced interactions with red-winged blackbirds and now have ornithophobia (the fear of birds) of this species. I also felt the same way, until I came to Woodland Dunes.
In my hometown, I learned the locations of the red-winged blackbirds’ nests, and would adapt my running route to avoid them. In my first few days at the preserve, however, I noticed a nest right off Cattail Trail, which meant I would inevitably be too close to the nest for a red-winged blackbird’s liking.
I became curious as to why they were so defensive, but my research did not answer this question with a scientific answer, but an intriguing legend from the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana as to how red-winged blackbirds received their distinctive feature.
Essentially, a man wanted to burn the world so he set sea marshes on fire. A red-winged blackbird sang its call “Ku nam wi cu!” meaning “the world and all is going to burn”. The man hurled a shell at the bird in an effort to silence his harbinger through murder, but it only caused his wings to bleed, thus giving him red wings.
After learning their lore, I do have a deepened respect for the red-winged blackbird’s unwavering loyalty. I hope anyone who has also had a frightening experience can share this changed sentiment with me.
