Glossy, common small blackbird. Common in all but Northeast and Mid-Atlantic; wide range of altitudes. Timing: summer in much of the West and Great Lakes area; winter in the Southwest, West Coast and Southeast. Prefers coastal scrub, grasslands, meadows and lawns, suburban and urban environs. Medium with a pointy bill; plumage is glossy black with yellow eye. Very variable egg color and pattern, possibly for camouflage. Some birds migrate west to milder coastal regions in winter. Very adaptable to human environs. . Diet includes seeds, grains and insects as well as tiny animals (nestlings, voles, frogs etc). Oldest wild individual recorded was 12. Population ~ 24 million.