Red-shouldered Blackbird (Agelaius assimilis) [XC256882]
by Hans Matheve from La Turba, Cienaga de Zapata, Matanzas, Cuba (call)
Red-shouldered Blackbird (Agelaius assimilis) [XC410116]
by Hans Matheve from Abreus, Cienfuegos, Cuba (song)
Subspecies
Agelaius phoeniceus (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) and Red-shouldered Blackbird (Agelaius assimilis) following AOU (1998).
Formerly treated as conspecific with Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), but the two differ markedly in sexual dimorphism, in mating and nesting behaviour and in size and molecular data support treatment as separate species. Birds from I of Pines formerly separated as a geographical subspecies, subniger, but description was based on immature specimens.