They know my arrival
They appear soon after I park and join the procession toward the jetty.
Small, swift jetty regulars
Brewer’s Blackbirds
Euphagus cyanocephalus
What began with only a few visitors has grown into a flock of about 10 regulars who recognize my car, my morning route, and the promise of peanuts.
Read their story
Bird profile
A flash of color hidden in black feathers
- Common name
- Brewer’s Blackbird
- Scientific name
- Euphagus cyanocephalus
- Family
- Icteridae
- Appearance
- Males are glossy black with a pale yellow eye and purple-green iridescence
- Known for
- Ground foraging, flocking, quick reactions, and a sharp, distinctive call
- Our meeting place
- The South Mission Beach jetty parking lot and rocks
A familiar morning signal
“I recognize their distinctive chirp when they want my attention, and they recognize me, my car, and my peanuts.”
They arrive shortly after I park at the jetty and follow along as I walk toward my favorite rock. Their numbers have gradually increased from a few birds to a dependable flock of about 10 regulars.
Feeding them requires timing. The Heermann’s gulls immediately recognize that these smaller birds are competing for the same tosses. If a peanut lands more than a few inches away, a gull’s sudden move can send the blackbird flying before it reaches the treat.
I have learned to create a diversion, drawing the gulls in one direction just long enough to place a peanut close to a blackbird. With one quick movement, it grabs the nut and flies away. One peanut usually seems to be enough, unlike the gulls and pigeons, whose appetite for more appears endless.
Small but unmistakable
Quick enough to seize the moment.
Their bright eyes, glossy feathers, and alert posture match the speed and confidence they bring to the morning competition on the jetty.
What makes them special
They call for attention
Their distinctive chirp lets me know when the flock is nearby and waiting.
They act in an instant
A well-placed peanut is grabbed quickly before the larger gulls can intervene.
Part of the morning family
Ten tiny regulars who refuse to be overlooked.
Their arrival, their familiar calls, and the daily challenge of making sure they receive their share have become another meaningful chapter in my beach story.
Return to Beach Bird Encounters