Date: 1/5/26 7:37 pm From: Tom Benson via groups.io <thomasabenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Tricolored Blackbirds in downtown San Bernardino
About a month ago, I thought I saw a Tricolored Blackbird mixed in with a flock of other blackbirds at the San Bernardino courthouse parking lot north of Meadowbrook Park. Despite repeated visits to the parking lot, I was either unable to relocate the flock or not able to study it carefully until today, January 5. The flock of 150+ blackbirds was composed primarily of Brewer's Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds, but also a small number (12-15) of Tricolored Blackbirds. Unlike the other two species, which consisted of both males and females, there were only females of the Tricolored Blackbirds that I could tell. Today's flock was attracted to some bird seed scattered in the parking lot. If you wish to look for these and employ the same technique, I'd recommend doing so in the actual park to avoid attracting the attention of the parking lot security.
https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/checklist/S292617594 Tricolored Blackbird is a declining species in California. While there have been regular reports of this species in the upper Mojave River Valley and the San Jacinto Valley, this is apparently the first sighting of this species on the coastal slope of San Bernardino County since 2021, though limited observer effort or lack of scrutiny of blackbird flocks may be a factor in the dearth of reports.
Tom BensonRedlands, CA
