This is bird note.

While it might sound like a door hinge that needs some grease, this is the song of the rusty blackbird.

The bird's name evokes both its reddish-brown feather highlights and its creaky, complex little song.

These birds aren't rusty year-round.

In the fall, their new feathers come in with reddish-gold highlights

that have a unique and subtle beauty.

As winter progresses, the rusty edges wear away,

leaving the birds with a solid, grayish blue plumage for the summer

breeding season in Canada and Alaska. Though once common, rusty blackbirds have lost over 90%

of their population since 1966, one of the steepest declines of any North American bird species.

The challenges they face include climate change drying up their

breeding habitats in the boreal forests and habitat loss in the swamps of the southern U.S. where

they spend the winter. They've also likely been harmed by a toxin called methyl mercury, produced by

burning coal that falls as poisonous rain in the boreal forests. By addressing climate change, preserving

wetlands, and preventing pollution, we can help these unique blackbirds and ourselves.

For Bird Note, I'm Ariana Rommel.