Florida hosts a variety of birds, some of which reside there permanently, while some migrate according to the weather. Blackbirds are considered an agricultural nuisance because they can eat enormous seeds and grains. Ever wonder how many different species of blackbirds are there in Florida? 19 of the 25 New World Blackbirds recorded in North America—including Blackbirds, Orioles, Meadowlarks, Cowbirds, Grackles, and Bobolinks—have been found in Florida. Following our research, we have created a list of different types of black birds in Florida,
Types of Black Birds In Florida
1. American Coot
The American coot is an aquatic black and white bird that resembles a chicken in shape. It has a spherical head covered in black feathers. Sloping and dazzling white, the beak is. These birds have little red patches on their foreheads and crimson eyes. In Florida, you can see these adorable waterbirds on practically any body of water. When swimming through the water, they resemble ducks quite a bit. These birds can fly, which is interesting, but they don’t fly very well. They genuinely need to take off after a long run-up.
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2. Boat-tailed Grackle
Blackbirds most frequently seen in Florida throughout the winter and second most during the summer are Boat-tailed Grackles. They are observed all through the entire year throughout the state, and 25% of summer checklists and 24% of winter checklists include them. The male Boat-tailed Grackle has a long tail, long legs, and long, pointed bills. It is a huge, glossy black songbird.
The females are half as big as the males and have a darker brown back and a paler brown underbelly. These birds can be found all over Florida near the ocean, including along the Gulf Coast. They can be found searching for food scraps around the edges of marshes, in parks, or in urban areas. They eat anything they can find, including seeds, crabs, and food waste.
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Image Source: Wikimedia
3. American Crow
The American crow is a common bird because it may be found all over the United States. These are big, glossy-black birds with black beaks that have black bodies. Their short, rounded tails are squared off at the tip, and they have quite broad wings. The majority of Florida’s counties are home to American crows. They’re smart birds with excellent problem-solving skills. These birds of North Carolina live in densely populated urban settings. By rifling through trash cans and abandoned food containers, they can frequently find a free meal at these locations. It is also listed as one of the black animals in the world.
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4. Common Grackle
Common Grackles are the most often observed blackbirds in Florida during the summer and the third most frequently during the winter. They are a near-threatened species. They have been observed all year in the state and are listed in 19% of winter and 25% of summer checklists. Common grackles are blackbirds with shiny, colorful bodies and longer tails than the average blackbird.
Compared to men, women have slightly less shine. In the southeastern states, common grackles are year-round residents, although those that breed in Canada and the Midwest migrate south. Open woodlands, marshes, parks, and fields are just a few examples of their diverse habitats. They congregate in loud groups high up in trees and consume a variety of crops, but primarily maize. They can be a pain because they will also devour garbage.
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Image Source: Wikimedia
5. Anhinga
These huge, fairly slender water diving birds are quite attractive. They have long, fan-shaped tails that resemble the tail of a turkey. They have long, s-shaped necks and a bill that resembles a dagger. On their backs and wings, the male birds’ black feathers contain silver and white streaks.
Tan feathers cover the heads, necks, and breasts of female birds. Swimming is interesting for Anhingas. They often swim along completely or mostly submerged, barely sticking their long necks and heads above the surface. These birds frequently can be seen drying off after swimming while resting on a log with their wings spread.
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6. Brewer’s Blackbird
Another black bird with blue head bird species where the male and female have somewhat distinct colorings is this one. All of a male bird’s feathers are a glossy black color. They also have a blueish gloss on their heads and golden eyes. The females, on the other hand, have dark brown feathers and dark eyes. These blackbirds inhabit busy streets and urban parks where they forage on the ground. Additionally, they live on grasslands, meadows, golf courses, and riverbanks.
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7. Red-winged Blackbird
In Florida, red-winged blackbirds are the third most commonly observed black and red bird during the summer and the second most frequently observed during the winter. They live in the state all year round and are listed on 25% of summer checklists and 19% of winter checklists that the state’s bird watchers submit. Due to their all-black coloring save for their reddish-orange wing patches, red-winged blackbirds are exceedingly abundant and simple to distinguish.
Females with streaky brown coloration are particularly uninteresting. Red-winged Blackbirds are frequently seen perched on telephone wires. Although they will nest in meadows and fields, they prefer moist environments like marshes. In the breeding season, males will aggressively protect their territories. They can even attack people who approach nests too closely.
Also Read: Top 10 Most Beautiful Blue Colored Birds
8. Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers
Most Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are black and white. They are among the smallest kinds of woodpeckers. These birds have black crowns on their heads and white spots on their faces. Under the cheek, they feature a strong black stripe. They have striped black and white feathers on their backs.
The cockade of the male birds has a subtle red streak on it. Unfortunately, due to a significant loss of habitat, including old-growth pine forests, this woodpecker is now listed as an endangered species. These birds prefer pine trees to build their nest chambers and to rest in. These birds are losing their preferred habitat and nesting grounds as pine forests disappear.
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Image Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region
9. European Starling
An alien species that is year-round in Florida is the European starling. As the fourth most often observed blackbird in the state, they are listed on 13% of summer checklists and 11% of winter checklists. Although not native, European Starlings are currently one of the most common songbirds. They are stocky blackbirds with purple, green, and blue iridescent tones. They fly in big, raucous groups and exhibit aggressive behavior, which makes them a pest. They are frequently seen flying over fields or perched in flocks on the tops of trees.
10. Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern Meadowlarks are a year-round resident in Florida, despite being a near-threatened species there. They are listed in 3% of winter checklists and 5% of summer checklists, respectively. The medium-sized Eastern Meadowlark has a bright yellow underside and a back that is pale brown with black markings. It is also listed as one of the yellow and black birds in the world.
Their chest one of the yellow birds with black wings is marked by a characteristic black band. Eastern Meadowlarks can be seen all year round in the eastern US states; however, before moving south, they will breed in the Northeast and Canada. The Eastern Meadowlark signals the beginning of spring in the East by singing and putting on a show, but sadly, they are now considered to be almost endangered.
Image Source: Wikimedia
11. Rusty Blackbird
The Rusty blackbird scientifically known as Euphagus carolinus is a medium-sized bird species closely related to the grackles. The bird species love to thrive in the wet forested areas across northern Canada and used to migrate southeast to the United States during the winter season. Talking about its appearance, the adult bird species have a pointed bill and a pale yellow eye. The plumage is black along with a faint green and purple gloss. The garage lifespan of Rusty Blackbird is unknown in the world.
Image Source: Wikimedia
12. Smooth-billed Ani
The Smooth-billed ani scientifically known as Crotophaga ani is a bird species belonging to the cuckoo family. One of the beautiful black birds in Florida has a body length of between 33 to 36 cm and a total wingspan of between 43 to 45 cm. The average weight of Smooth-billed Ani is between 95 to 119 gms. It loves to thrive in the regions of the open and semi-open country, savannahs, scrublands, and cultivated areas. They are often seen in pairs or sometimes in small groups. Smooth-billed Ani feeds on insects such as grasshoppers, caterpillars, and moths, however, they also consume lizards, cattle parasites, snails, seeds, fruits, and berries.
Image Source: Wikipedia
13. Snail Kite
The snail kite scientifically known as Rostrhamus sociabilis is a bird of prey that belongs to the family Accipitridae. The same family includes eagles, hawks, and Old World vultures. The closest relative of the bird species is a slender-billed kite. The bird species like to stay near water bodies where they hunt their main prey, the apple snakes, and hence they are known as molluscivores.
Image Source: Wikimedia
14. Swallow-tailed Kite
Swallow-tailed kites scientifically known as Elanoides fortificatus can grow a body length between 50 to 70 cm in length and a total wingspan between 112 to 136 cm. The average weight is between 300 to 600 gms. The avarage lifespan of a Swallow-tailed Kite is upto 6 years. The primary food sources of bird species are insects and small vertebrates.
Image Source: Wikimedia
15. White-crowned Pigeon
White-crowned Pigeon’s scientific name is Patagioenas leucocephala is one of the popular black birds in Florida mostly seen in the regions of Mangrove Keys and wooded islands in south Florida. The body length of bird species can grow between 29 to 35 cm with a total wingspan between 48 to 59 cm. The garage wieght of the bird species is between 150 to 301 gms. The breeding region of the White-crowned Pigeon is in the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, and Antigua.
Image Source: Wikimedia
16. Double-crested cormorant
The double-crested cormorant is one of the popular black birds in Florida which is a member of the cormorant family of water birds. The body size is between 70 to 90 cm and the average weight is between 1.2 to 2.5 kg. The avarage lifespan of double-crested cormorant is upto 6 years, however, few species have crossed over 22 years of lifespan. The dietary habit are carnivores in nature and feeds primarily on fishes, however, they have also been seen feeding on insects, crustaceans, and amphibians.
17. Magnificent frigatebird
The magnificent frigatebird is one of the weirdest birds in the world that belongs to the family Fregatidae. The body size is between 89 to 114 cm and the average weight is between 1 to 1.6 kilograms. The avarage lifespan of a magnificent frigatebird is between 15 to 25 years in the wild. The avarage top speed while flying is upto 15 km/h and the wingspan is between 217 to 244 cm. The friary diet includes fish, squid, jellyfish, and crustaceans, however, they are also seen feeding on turtles, eggs, and chicks of other sea birds.
Image Source: Wikimedia
18. Common gallinule
The Common gallinule is one of the blue birds in Florida where the word gallinule comes from the Latin “gallina,” meaning small hen. The toes of the bird are long which allows them to walk on soft mud and floating vegetation. They are the size of a duck and swim like a duck, however, they can be distinguished from all ducks by the blunt red and yellow bill and red forehead shield. The rare bird species are regular in Tennessee during migration and during the breeding season.
19. Black vulture
The black vulture is one of the common black birds in Florida that belongs to the Cathartidae family. The body. Length is between 56 to 74 cm and average wieght is between 1.6 to 2.7 kilograms. The avarage lifespan of black vultures is upto 10 years, however, some of them can survive upto 25.6 years. They are scavengers and feed on carcasses of large animals, and sometimes small dead mammals. They are also seen killing baby herons in nesting colonies and eating domestic ducks, newborn calves, small birds and mammals, eggs, opossums, skunks, ripe or rotten vegetables or fruit, and young turtles.
Image Source: Wikimedia
20. Fish crow
The fish crow is a crow species mostly seen in wetland habitats in the eastern and southeastern United States. The body length is between 36 to 40 cm and the average weight is between 195 to 330 grams. The food is taken mainly from the ground or shallow water where the bird hovers and plucks food items out of the water with its feet. The avarage lifespan of a fish crow is between 6 to 7 years in the wild. The main threats of fish crows are humans, owls, hawks, and kestrels.
Image Source: Wikimedia
21. Bobolink
The bobolink is one of the black birds with white strips on thier wings and the only member of the genus Dolichonyx. The body length is between 15 to 21 cm and the average weight is between 29 to 56 grams. The appearance of bobolink is mostly black with creamy napes along with white scapulars, lower backs, and rumps, however, females are mostly light brown with black streaks on the back and flanks, and dark stripes on the head; their wings and tails are darker. The avarage lifespan of a bobolink is between 4 to 9 years in the wild.
22. Black skimmer
The black skimmer is a bird with a long beak whose scientific name Rynchops niger is a seabird that belongs to the family Laridae. The body length is between 40 to 50 cm and the average weight is between 212 to 447 grams. Talking about the appearance, the breeding plumage has a black crown, nape, and upper body, however, the forehead and underparts are white. The breeding range is around North and South America. During the winter season, they move to warmer waters of the Caribbean and the tropical and subtropical Pacific coasts. The avarage lifespan of a black skimmer is upto 20 years in the wild.
23. Eastern kingbird
The Eastern kingbird is one of the common black birds in Florida native to the Americas. The body length ranges between 19 to 23 cm and avarage wieght is between 33 to 55 grams. The adult species can be identified with the help of dark gray with white underbelly and pointed wings. The bird species is migratory whose breeding range spread across North America and its wintering range in Central and South America. The avarage lifespan of an eastern kingbird is upto 10 years in the wild.
24. Brown-headed cowbird
The Brown-headed cowbird is a sturdy blackbird that belongs to the family Icteridae. The body length ranges between 16 to 22 cm and avarage wieght is between 38 to 50 grams. The female species do not build nests instead use all their energy to produce eggs, sometimes over three dozen per summer. The avarage lifespan of a brown-headed cowbird is upto 16 years in the wild. The bird species lay thier eggs in other birds’ nests, which become their chicks’ foster parents and even there are examples where foster parents’ chicks are victims in the process.
25. Shiny cowbird
The shiny cowbird is one of the black birds with blue heads found all across the regions of South America and thrives in open areas such as forests and cultivated land. They do not form monogamous pairs instead have a promiscuous mating system where other individuals will copulate with different male species. The adult species is sexually dimorphic where males are all black with a purple-blue iridescence, however, female species are smaller along with dull brown plumage that is sometimes paler on the underparts.
26. Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker is one of the black birds in Florida that people offenly confuse with the Hairy Woodpecker, however, they differ in size and bill coloration. The lifecycle of a downy woodpecker will take approximately 1 year for a Downy Woodpecker to be ready to have babies. Their breeding season is in the spring and early summer is when they start having babies. These black and white birds have special feathers around their nostrils keeping them from breathing in wood chips. It is also listed as one of the common types of birds in North Carolina.
27. Dark-eyed Junco
Dark-eyed Junco is one of the small grey birds with white bellies in the world whose name is derived from the Spanish term for the plant genus Juncus. Talking about appearance, they have gray heads, necks, and breasts, gray or brown backs and wings, and a white belly, however, people will get confused with the coloring variation in plumage. These are diurnal and spend their time foraging or perching. They are monogamous which means that one male mates only with one female.
28. Turkey Vulture
The Turkey Vulture is one of the brown birds with a red head found from Canada’s southern border to the southernmost part of Tierra del Fuego in Chile. These common chaparral animals roost in large groups, but search independently for food, during daylight hours. There are instances where they are seen with black vultures as well. These black birds with red head roost on dead, leafless trees, and sometimes nest in caves. They most of the time stand with their wings spread, a stance believed to serve several purposes such as warming the body, drying the wings, and baking off bacteria.
29. Pileated Woodpecker
The pileated Woodpecker is one of the beautiful birds with mohawks that live in forests of eastern North America. This is the third largest species of woodpecker followed by the Great Slaty woodpecker and the Black woodpecker. The name “Pileated” refers to the bird’s prominent red crest meaning “capped”. Talking about the appearance, they are mainly black with a red crest along with a white line down the sides of the throat. The adult male species have a red line from the bill to the throat, however, adult female species are mostly black.
30. Baltimore Oriole
Baltimore Oriole is one of the common black and orange birds that can be easily recognized by the orange plumage on their undersides and shoulders. The male species can be identified with the help of a head and beak that are black, and its wings are black with a white bar running across. The female species are duller in appearance and come with yellowish-orange and dark gray or brown plumage.
The body length ranges between six to eight inches and the wingspan is between 9 to 12 inches. The population of Baltimore Oriole is stable, however, there is a decline noticed in the eastern United States, but that can be compensated with the increase in the western part of their range.
These are the different types of black birds in Florida. Kindly share and post your comments.