Overview

Overview

The Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) is a Special Concern species in Wisconsin. It is a large songbird with males having a distinguishable bright yellow head, neck and breast. The body is black with a partially visible white wing patch while perched. The females have a yellow face and neck, though the body is dull brown. The species is most prevalent in southeastern Wisconsin but breeds throughout the entire state. During the avoidance period from mid-April to early August, it prefers emergent aquatic habitats where cat-tails, reeds and bulrushes are present, such as deep-water marshes and prairie wetlands. The nests are constructed above water using various grasses, reeds and cat-tails that are woven together. Up to five eggs are laid that are grayish-white marked by multiple brown spots. Alteration of wetland habitats for agriculture or urban development threatens the viability of the species.

State status

Status and Natural Heritage Inventory documented occurrences in Wisconsin

The table below provides information about the protected status - both state and federal - and the rank (S and G Ranks) for Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus). See the Working List Key for more information about abbreviations. Counties shaded blue have documented occurrences for this species in the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory database. The map is provided as a general reference of where occurrences of this species meet NHI data standards and is not meant as a comprehensive map of all observations.

Note: Species recently added to the NHI Working List may temporarily have blank occurrence maps.

Species guidance

A guidance document is not available at this time. However, the bird calendar [PDF] contains dates for avoiding impacts to this and other rare Wisconsin birds when planning management activities.

Other resources

Links to additional Yellow-headed Blackbird information

Other links related to birds

• NatureServe Explorer
• All Bird Plan [exit DNR]
• Important Bird Areas [exit DNR]
• Managing Habitat for Grassland Birds [exit DNR]
• All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) [exit DNR]
• Wisconsin Colonial Waterbird Survey
• Wisconsin DNR Bird Nesting Calendar

Photos/Video

Photos

Click to view a larger version. Please considering donating a photo to the Natural Heritage Conservation Program for educational uses. Photo use

Wildlife Action Plan

Natural community (habitat) associations

The table below lists the natural communities that are associated with Yellow-headed Blackbird. Only natural communities for which Yellow-headed Blackbird is "high" (score=3) or "moderate" (score=2) associated are shown. See the key to association scores for complete definitions. Please see the Wildlife Action Plan to learn how this information was developed.

Ecological landscape associations

The table below lists the ecological landscape association scores for Yellow-headed Blackbird. The scores correspond to the map (3=High, 2=Moderate, 1=Low, 0=None). For more information, please see the Wildlife Action Plan.

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Landscape-Community combinations of highest ecological priority*

Ecological priorities are the combinations of natural communities and ecological landscapes that provide Wisconsin's best opportunities to conserve important habitats for a given Species of Greatest Conservation Need. The 10 highest scoring combinations are considered ecological priorities and are listed below. More than 10 combinations are listed if multiple combinations tied for 10th place. For more information, please see the Wildlife Action Plan.

* Ecological priority score is a relative measure that is not meant for comparison between species. This score does not consider socio-economical factors that may dictate protection and/or management priorities differently than those determined solely by ecological analysis. Further, a low ecological priority score does not imply that management or preservation should not occur on a site if there are important reasons for doing so locally.

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Issues/threats and conservation actions

Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the WWAP because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.

Threats/issues and conservations actions for rare animals

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