The "rusty farm gate" bird

That is how the sound of a Yellow-headed Blackbird is often described. I know I'll never forget the very first time I saw and heard one of these quite spectacular birds a number of years ago. Photographed this male the day before yesterday (22 May 2014) at a wetland in SW Calgary, where I called in on my way to driving a few of the backroads SW of Calgary. Not the best photo but, at the rate I'm going, it might be one of the only shots I get of this species this spring. I posted a photo of a female Yellow-headed Blackbird in a comment box below.

"The breeding habitat of the Yellow-headed Blackbird is cattail (Typha spp.) marshes in North America, mainly west of the Great Lakes. The nest is built with and attached to marsh vegetation. They nest in colonies, often sharing their habitat closely with the Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). During the breeding and nesting season the males are very territorial and spend much of their time perched on reed stalks and displaying or chasing off intruders." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-headed_blackbird

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/yellow-headed_blackbird/id

For the sound:
youtu.be/6-Pk-VMtZM0