BLACK BIRDS SEEN IN NORTH AMERICA

Painted Redstart 

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Myioborus Pictus 

Both males and females are similar in plumage, though males are slightly larger than females.

Adults are mostly black, with a bright red lower breast and belly, large white wing patches, white outer tail feathers and white crescents below its eyes. The bill and legs are blackish.

Juveniles lack the red belly and glossy black plumage of the adult. They are brownish-gray overall, with a paler belly and undertail coverts, and a pale cream or buff tinge to its wing patches.

BILL: black, thin and pointed.

SIZE: largest of the whitestarts, measures about 5.9 inches in length, with a wingspan of 8.75 inches.

WEIGHT: weighs about 5.9 - 9.6 grams.

COLOR: black, red and white.

Insects, sap from deciduous trees, and sugar water at feeders.

Semi-humid oak and pine-oak woodlands, with dense undergrowth and water.

Central America and Mexico, ranging as far north as the Madrean sky islands and Mogollon Rim in Arizona and New Mexico and Big Bend National Park in Texas.

During the summer and winter, these birds may venture as far south as Nicaragua.

CALL: A clear, whistled “chee”, and a harsh "sreeu”, suggesting Pine Siskin’s call.

Alarm call is a high-pitched “zeeeettt”.

Courtship call is a sharp, high-pitched sound, uttered during courtship flight displays.

SONG: A varied rich warbler, starting quickly and ending with an up-slurred note “wee-chee, wee-chee, wee-chee… wee-cheet”.

Male uses up to ten kinds of songs, and female is able to sing just as well as a male, and during courtship displays, they sing together.

NEST: The female builds a cup of coarse grasses and pine needles, located on the ground, on slopes, or rock walls.

The nest is lined with fine grass and hair, with some dead leaves incorporated into side walls and bottom.

EGGS: 3 - 4 white or creamy eggs, speckled with brown spots.

INCUBATION: 13 - 14 days, female fed by the male.

They are very active in foraging, moving quickly through the branches or along the ground.

They sometimes hover and glean insects from foliage while in flight, and also fly out to capture insects in mid-air.

SOURCES:
https://www.birds-of-north-america.net
https://en.wikipedia.org
https://www.allaboutbirds.org
http://www.oiseaux-birds.com
https://www.sdakotabirds.com