Blackbird is the common name for about 25 species of birds of the New World, which include orioles and bobolinks, and several Old World birds of the thrush family. The red-winged blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus, male has red shoulder patches and the female is brown and striped. Many blackbirds are gregarious and nest in colonies. Two to seven eggs are laid. Blackbirds feed on grain, insects, and seeds. They are among the most populous of all birds, with some winter flocks numbering in the millions. The red-winged blackbird is distributed over marshes and upland fields of most of the continent.