Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
Silhouette: Matt Wilkins · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-headed Blackbird sighting in Calgary on a given day, based on 2,287 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 73rd most-seen of the 259 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-headed Blackbird in Calgary on a given day, against under 5% in August to March, the lowest months. That is one of Calgary's wettest months, with about 120 mm of rain against 15 mm in January.
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.
3rd of 28
Of the 28 cities where we can rate Yellow-headed Blackbird sightings, Calgary ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Ciudad Juárez (México, about 20%) and León (México, about 10%).
Same family: Icteridae
The closest relatives of the Yellow-headed Blackbird that you can see in Calgary (family Icteridae, New World Blackbirds and Orioles) are Red-winged Blackbird (about 30%), Common Grackle (about 20%) and Brown-headed Cowbird (about 10%), 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 Calgary (2,287 verified sightings), 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.
