In what part of the country are you located, and could you take a photo of this bird?

We have red-winged blackbirds here in PA. but the red is on it's shoulder and it has buff-yellow tips. The bird book describes it as epaulettes.

Three other birds I found with some of your description are the Lark Bunting (state bird of Colorado, nest in sagebrush plains), the Painted Redstart (foothills and mtn. canyons of southwest, native to Mexico) and the Rose-Breasted Grosebeak, the male being described as black head and back with a rosy red wing lining and white rump (northeast and central USA and into Canada and beyond).

Jane

How about an American redstart? One of the first warblers I see (usually) and though it's not as big as blackbird, size is hard to judge if the bird is up high or hiding in branches.
Susan

I live in middle tennessee. I'm not set up for pictures on my computer yet. I'm gonna look up some of these birds you all have mentioned and see if it is one of these birds. I will let you know what I discover.

Ok I have been looking up these birds. I know I have some red winged blackbirds but they have yellow and red on their wings. I got new glasses today so maybe I can see these birds with white wings better. Maybe they were these black birds to begin with. I sure would like to know.

The sound the Red-Winged Blackbird makes is pretty distinct. Try listening to the audio on the Cornell site and see if it matches what you heard. They are pretty vocal birds, so if it was a Red-Winged Blackbird, you probably heard it. Red-Winged Blackbird Sound Page

Hi Rebeccah and all,

Why not a Rose-breasted Grosbeak?

Luc

The reason I would not suspect a Rose Breasted Grosbeak is because she said it had red on the wings, not the breast, which would rule out the Rose Breasted Grosbeak.

Hi all,

Rebeccah wrote " and red under the wings " that is why I considered the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak.

Luc