53. Individuality among red-winged blackbirds.
7. When to Sing, and How
Energized dawn singing
From page 119 in the book.
Individuality among red-winged blackbirds. How befuddling! As I was entranced by the male red-winged blackbird in this account (pages 117-119), I increasingly realized that his neighbor barely sang throughout the entire dawn period. He seemed, in a word, passionless! He was also paired, and he and his mate foraged together on their territory, but without all the ruckus of their immediate neighbors. The striking differences are mysterious, but perhaps could be explained if one knew more about the two pairs. A simple description of how several male red-wings in a marsh behave through the dawn period would been lightening, especially through the entire breeding season. That description would inevitably lead to better ideas as to why the males differ so much in their behavior, and why they sing and call the way they do during the predawn hour. Be aware: You may find no obvious reasons as to why the males differ, and may in the end just chalk up the behavioral differences to their individual personalities.