Guide

Go seeBirds

Red-winged blackbirds on Broadmoor's marsh boardwalk

March to April

By about the middle of March, male red-winged blackbirds claim marsh territories by puffing up to flash their red shoulder patches. Broadmoor's All Persons Trail follows a wide path and boardwalk across the marsh that Mass Audubon says can take wheelchairs, walkers and baby strollers.

Why this time of year

Mass Audubon's breeding bird atlas says the first flocks often appear in the last week of February, resident males take up territories about the middle of March, and migration continues through March into early April. The first females arrive a few weeks after the males.

How to notice it

  1. Take the All Persons Trail at Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary out to the boardwalk over the marsh and scan the tallest stems and shrubs for black birds perched up high.
  2. Watch a male: he puffs up to show his red shoulder patches, sings from a high perch, and may make a short flight straight up.
  3. Look for females too. Mass Audubon says they look like large sparrows with sharp bills, and the first ones arrive a few weeks after the males.
  4. Count how many males you can see or hear at once around the marsh.

Try this with kids: Can you find a black bird with red on its shoulders? Count how many times he shows it off.

Word to know: “Epaulets” are the red shoulder patches a male shows off.

Sources

  • massaudubon.orgMass Audubon Broadmoor accessibility page (landowner, primary): All Persons Trail 'One-quarter mile loop'; 'Trail follows a wide path and boardwalk that can accommodate wheelchairs, walkers, and baby strollers.' 'Benches provide opportunity for rest or contemplation.' read 2026-11-10
  • massaudubon.orgMass Audubon Broadmoor trails page (landowner): All Persons Trail (0.6 miles) 'includes a 430-foot boardwalk through the marsh, where visitors of all ages and abilities can observe the wetlands.' read 2026-11-10
  • massaudubon.orgMass Audubon Breeding Bird Atlas 1, Red-winged Blackbird: 'the first flocks often appearing in the last week of February'; 'Resident adult males do not take up their territories until about the middle of March'; migration 'continues through March into early April'; 'The first females arrive a few weeks later'; males display epaulets 'by puffing themselves up', sing from a prominent perch, short vertical flight; breed 'in swamps and marshes'. read 2026-11-10
  • massaudubon.orgMass Audubon species page: 'Their voices chorus around nearly every marsh and pond in the state during the spring and summer'; 'Females resemble large sparrows but can be recognized as this species by their sharp bills'; winter sightings 'appear to be on the increase'. read 2026-11-10
  • massaudubon.orgMass Audubon Broadmoor Accessible Trail Guide, Spring (landowner), stop 9 on the All Persons Trail marsh boardwalk: 'The red-winged blackbird's hoarse conk-a-reee is the most common and easily recognized call in the marsh.' The boardwalk through the marsh accommodates wheelchairs, walkers, and baby strollers. read 2026-11-10

Checked against these sources on November 10, 2026.

In the guide for March, April

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