Blackbirds (Icteridae)
Baby rusty blackbirds: from egg to fledgling
A Rusty Blackbird lays 3–6 eggs. They hatch after 14 days, and the young leave the nest 11–13 days later — about 25–27 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 3–6 eggs
- Incubation
- 14 days
- Time in the nest
- 11–13 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 25–27 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
- Nest
- Bulky cup in a conifer or shrub over boreal swamp water
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (14 days): 3–6 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (11–13 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season rusty blackbirds mainly eat caddisflies, dragonfly larvae and snails.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young rusty blackbirds are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1 per season.
When rusty blackbirds nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in New York (May) and latest in Alaska (Jun). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Alaska | Jun–Jul |
| Alberta | Jun–Jul |
| British Columbia | Jun–Jul |
| Maine | Jun–Jul |
| Manitoba | Jun–Jul |
| New Brunswick | Jun–Jul |
| New Hampshire | Jun–Jul |
| New York | May–Jul |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Jun–Jul |
| Northwest Territories | Jun–Jul |
| Nova Scotia | Jun–Jul |
| Nunavut | Jun–Jul |
| Ontario | Jun–Jul |
| Prince Edward Island | Jun–Jul |
| Quebec | Jun–Jul |
| Saskatchewan | Jun–Jul |
| Vermont | Jun–Jul |
| Yukon | Jun–Jul |
Found a baby Rusty Blackbird?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about rusty blackbirds
Frequently asked
How long do baby rusty blackbirds stay in the nest?
About 11–13 days after hatching. Eggs take 14 days to hatch, so it is roughly 25–27 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Rusty Blackbird lay?
3–6 eggs per clutch, with 1 per season.
Where do rusty blackbirds nest?
Bulky cup in a conifer or shrub over boreal swamp water.
What should I do if I find a baby Rusty Blackbird on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.