Red-shouldered Blackbird
Photo: Christoph Moning · CC BY 4.0

New World Blackbirds, Troupials, and Allies

Red-shouldered Blackbird

Agelaius assimilis

LCLeast Concern Endemic to Cuba
Family
New World Blackbirds, Troupials, and Allies (Icteridae)
Order
Passeriformes

Overview

The red-shouldered blackbird (Agelaius assimilis), known in Cuban Spanish as mayito de la ciénaga (swamp mayito) or sargento cubano (Cuban sergeant) and turpial de hombros rojos (red-shouldered troupial), is a species of passerine bird in the family Icteridae endemic to Cuba. It is similar to other species in the genus Agelaius, but recent research has established it as a separate species from the closely related red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus).
The males are very similar to those of the red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), while the females are completely black, similar to the males but without the red and yellow stripes on the wings. In addition to having a different behavior, the sexual dimorphism in size and color of the plumage of the red-shouldered blackbird is less than that of the red-winged blackbird.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Marshes of western and central Cuba, including Isla de la Juventud.

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Continents

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Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.