Scarlet-headed Blackbird

Amblyramphus holosericeus

The Birds of the World website introduces the Scalet-headed Blackbird with this descriptive information:  The Scarlet-headed Blackbird is a striking and beautiful resident of reedbeds in northeastern Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southeast Brazil, with a disjunct population in Bolivia. The head coloration of both sexes of this species seems to glow, and truly is one of the more spectacular sights of temperate South American marshes: it even impressed Theodore Roosevelt during his travels through the Brazilian Parana. Scarlet-headed Blackbirds sing from an emergent reed, where the loud, clear song can be heard. Scarlet-headed Blackbirds are generally uncommon throughout their range.

I met my first Scarlet-headed Blackbird on Thursday morning, August 24, 2023.  Our Jeff Parker Tour group had been staying at Southwild’s Fazenda Santa Tereza and, on this morning, we were headed south on the Transpantaneira Highway enroute  to Porto Jofre and ultimately the Jaguar Flotel.  It was along the Transpantaneira that I watched and photographed this brightly colored bird.  For details of my Brazilian trip that include the sighting of this bird, look here.  Below are a couple of my photos of this striking bird.