Yellow-headed Blackbird
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
Synopsis: Breeds locally in wetlands primarily east of the Cascades. Large colonies surround the larger lakes in Klamath, Lake, and Malheur Counties, as well as in Umatilla County. Smaller colonies are at Davis Lake and other large lakes in the central Cascades. West of the Cascades, the species breeds regularly at Fern Ridge Reservoir near Eugene, and as pairs or small groups in cattail marshes scattered at a few other locations elsewhere in the Willamette and Rogue Valleys. Most notable are the records (nesting not confirmed) from Josephine and Curry Counties.

Habitat Associations:
strongest
Edges of Freshwater Marsh (19577 acres)
some
Lake/Pond Shoreline & Islands (459353 acres)
lesser
Wet Montane Meadow (809 acres)
Streamside/Wetland Shrubland (500 acres)

Relative Detectability: Easy to detect by sight and song, and fairly easy to confirm breeding.

Challenge: Check other cattail or bulrush marshes for this species.