Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
Silhouette: Matt Wilkins · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The yellow-headed blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) is a medium-sized blackbird with a yellow head. It is the only member of the genus Xanthocephalus. Their scientific name derives from the Greek word for yellow, xanthous, and the word for head, cephalus.
Yellow-headed blackbirds are relatively large blackbirds with large, yellow heads. They measure 8.3–10.2 in (21–26 cm) in length, with a wingspan of 16.5–17.3 in (42–44 cm) and a weight of 1.6–3.5 oz (44–100 g). Adults have a pointed bill. The adult male is mainly black with a yellow head and breast; they have a white wing patch sometimes only visible in flight. The adult female is mainly brown with a dull yellow throat and breast. Immature members of both sexes are brown with duller yellow plumage compared to adult males. Immature males also have some white patches on the wing. Both sexes resemble the respective sexes of the smaller yellow-hooded blackbird of South America.
These birds migrate in the winter to the southwestern United States and Mexico. They often migrate in huge flocks with other species of birds. The only regions of the United... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Badlands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Manuel Antonio National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 11 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Celestún Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 17 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 20 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ciudad Juárez | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | León | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 9 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-headed Blackbird sighting in Banff National Park on a given day, based on 70 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 107th most-seen of the 191 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-headed Blackbird in Banff National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-headed Blackbird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
8th of 22
Of the 22 parks where we can rate Yellow-headed Blackbird sightings, Banff National Park ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Yellowstone National Park (United States, about 20%), Death Valley National Park (United States, about 10%) and Badlands National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Icteridae
The closest relatives of the Yellow-headed Blackbird that you can see in Banff National Park (family Icteridae, New World Blackbirds and Orioles) are Red-winged Blackbird (about 30%) and Brown-headed Cowbird (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yellow-headed Blackbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Banff National Park (70 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
