If you have ever spent a quiet morning near a marsh, a roadside ditch, or a wet meadow, you’ve likely heard it before you saw it: a musical, buzzing conk-la-ree! echoing across the reeds. The Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) is one of North America’s most abundant and recognizable native birds. But while they are a common sight, they are anything but ordinary. To truly appreciate this striking creature, you have to watch what happens the exact moment it decides to t