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Yellow-headed Blackbird Photos

Photography by Terry Sohl

My Favorite: When I'm doing things like processing photos or working on my website, I like to turn on my music, and...sing along.  I'm not talking quietly mumbling the words, I'm talking let-it-loose, belt-it-out from the depths of your soul type of singing.  And...I'm not very good...which reminds me of these guys!  Yellow-headed Blackbirds bring SUCH a wonderful tough of color...and noise...to the wetlands around here in the summer. They're so incredibly vocal, and much like me, so incredibly BAD at actually singing.  I give them an "A" for effort though, and also give them top marks for beauty. This photo of a male striking a on last year's cattail was taken in April of 2019 in Minnehaha County, South Dakota.

Yellow-headed Blackbird - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 1 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 2 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird 3 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird 4 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird 1

May 2nd, 2010

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 2

May 14th, 2004

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 3

May 14th, 2004

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 4 (Juvenile)

July 2008

Kingsbury County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 5  - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird 6 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird 7 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird 8 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird 5

April 17th, 2005

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 6

April 17th, 2005

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 7

April 17th, 2005

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 8

April 17th, 2005

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 9 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird 10 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird 11 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird 12 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird 9 (Juvenile)

July 8th, 2008

Kingsbury County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 10 (Female)

May 20th, 2005

Kingsbury County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 11

April 26th, 2007

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 12 (Juvenile)

July 8th, 2008

Kingsbury County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 13 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 14 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 15 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 16 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 13 (first-year male)

May 18th, 2007

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 14 

May 18th, 2007

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 15

June 7th, 2008

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 16 (Juvenile)

August 1st, 2008

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 17 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 18 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 19 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 20 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 17

May 2nd, 2010

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 18

May 2nd, 2010

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 19

May 2nd, 2010

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 20

May 2nd, 2010

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 21 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird 22- Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird 23 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalusYellow-headed Blackbird - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalusYellow-headed Blackbird 24 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Yellow-headed Blackbird 21

May 28th, 2018

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 22

May 28th, 2018

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 23

May 28th, 2018

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 24

May 23rd, 2020

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 25 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus  Yellow-headed Blackbird 26 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus  Yellow-headed Blackbird 27 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus  Yellow-headed Blackbird 28 - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 25

April 28th, 2018

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 26

May 18th, 2020

Kingsbury County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 27

May 18th, 2020

Kingsbury County, South Dakota

Yellow-headed Blackbird 28

April 8th, 2019

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Click here for the species description page for the Yellow-headed Blackbird.

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Please mail any comments/suggestions/additional links for this page to: Terry L. Sohl