With a long tail, short thick bill and prominent red crest, the northern cardinal is a fairly large bird. Blackbird with black bill/beak could this be a Scandinavian blackbird, or a first winter uk bird, or something else? Black eye lines are quite common in birds and they vary in degree from a tiny black stripe to a full sized mask that covers not only the eyes but much of the face as well, such as in the cardinal. The breast and throat feathers are gray-tipped, and orange-tipped feathers are spread over the body. It has black wings that are checkered with white, a black back with a large white stripe running down it and a black head with two white stripes. The wings and tail have white edges. Females are a staid brown, without the male’s bright eye or the female Red-winged Blackbird’s streaks. Noticing in the garden after feeding, the black/ brown birds are present but there is one blackbird with the normal yellow beak then another black bird with a total black beak, i have never seen a blackbird with a black beak, is this a different type of breed? The beak is long and chisel-like and the head square. Many birds earn the catch-all label "black birds." A bird to be seen in the full sun, the male Brewer’s Blackbird is a glossy, almost liquid combination of black, midnight blue, and metallic green. Black-colored--or at least mostly black-colored--birds in the yard tend to be one of these: European Starling, Common Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, and Brown-headed Cowbird. Dark-eyed Juncos are neat, even flashy little sparrows that flit about forest floors of the western mountains and Canada, then flood the rest of North America for winter. The legs and bill are black. Any info appreciated. Akohekohe: This medium-sized black bird has a white-gold crest on its head and an orange eye ring extending to the orange-red nape. It feeds on nectar, insects and spiders. They’re easy to recognize by their crisp (though extremely variable) markings and the bright white tail feathers they habitually flash in flight.