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Many people subscribe to the belief that birds with black plumage are really not that interesting, perhaps even unattractive – nothing could be further from the truth!
From blackbirds to starlings, from crows to crows, here are nine images of black beauty to help change the way we view these birds.
the red-winged blackbird

“I saw this bird while kayaking on Lake Arrowhead in Vermont in early June. “This image of a red-winged blackbird reminds me that when you are willing to open yourself up, beautiful things will happen,” says Angela Myers. This bird gets its name from the male’s distinctive red shoulder patches, or epaulettes, which are most visible when flying or displaying.

Juvenile red-winged blackbird
Jennifer Hardison spotted this young red-winged blackbird high in a tree in Athens, Tennessee. Females of this species are dark brown overall with sharp stripes, paler on the chest with whitish eyebrows.

the European starling
“I took this magnificently colored bird during a visit to Central Park in New York City. “He’s a handsome guy,” says Angela Tarvin.
It is also simply called the starling in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Like most starling species, they tend to eat everything they can get their hands on. In their native habitat, that means everything from insects to tree frogs to fruits and berries. Unfortunately, they also have the bad habits that have made starlings so invasive in North America.

great-tailed grackle
“The great-tailed grackle is a pond inhabitant. Their distinctive calls and screeches distinguish them from other birds. In sunlight, the bird appears to have a blue/purple color tone. It has bold yellow eyes that stand out against the silky-looking black feathers. I took this photo over the summer in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma,” says Geralyn Bartolazzi.
Great-tailed grackles, particularly adult males, have a keel-shaped tail that they can fold vertically by aligning the two halves.
yellow-headed blackbird
“I captured this image of a Yellow-headed Blackbird in the reeds along the shore of Patterson Lake near Dickinson, North Dakota. I love hearing them sing and seeing how the yellow head really shows up well when I look for them. “It is one of my favorite birds to photograph around the water,” says Albert Myran.

These birds migrate in the winter to the southwestern United States and Mexico. They often migrate in large flocks with other bird species.
Brewer’s Blackbird
Nidia Palomo from Orlando, Florida, shared this image of inquisitive brewer’s blackbirds.
Adult males have black plumage with an iridescent purple head and neck topped with bright blue-green highlights on the rest of the body.
common crow
Valeri Maisch photographed this crow in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona
The term “crow” is distinguished from “raven” simply by the larger size of the crows; They both share the same gender.

common grackle
“I chose this image because of the bird’s vibrant colors and its bright yellow eye. He has his head cocked and looks like he’s giving something a stern look,” says Sonja Mauk.

Adults often have an iridescent appearance on the head, especially males.

the american crow
“When most people think of the desert, they think of a desolate place. But this photo captures its beautiful colors and the wildlife that calls this incredible place home. The crow was sitting on top of a stop sign, the guardian of Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada,” says Bill Caldwell.