**Description:** A familiar blackbird of the marsh; males are jet black with brilliant red and yellow shoulder patches (epaulets).
**Size & Weight:** 7–9.5 inches long. Weighs 1.1–2.7 oz.
**Sexual Dimorphism:** Extreme. Males are black with red patches; females are brown-streaked and resemble large sparrows.
**Behavior:** Highly territorial; males sing a loud "conk-la-ree!" while flaring their red patches to defend their territory.
**Habitat:** Common in wetlands, cattail marshes, and roadside ditches.