3: Robert Boniface -New Device

OSCAR is unable to find the name, either registered or submitted.

Argent, a red-winged blackbird proper perched on a wooden bow bend sinister string to base proper.

BONIFACE, Robert - Device Comments:

The red-winged blackbird has personal significance to the submitter and he wishes to have this specific bird portrayed on his arms.

The submitter and consulting herald recognize that this is a bird that is native to North America and not found in Europe.

However, this bird is so very common and widespread in its distribution that any resident or visitor to the continent would likely have encountered it. The Audubon Society Field Guide on line shows that the bird's range covers almost all of the continent south of the Arctic Circle.

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/red-winged-blackbird (accessed 22 May, 2023)

Unfortunately neither of us is able to find any English language references that date to any period prior to 1600.

It is highly unlikely that they were not known to the Indigenous people of North America, however, all of the references to First Nations Legends about the Red-winged Blackbird found when searching for information ended up being traced back to a book written at the start of the 20th century.

Katharine Berry Judson: "Myths and Legends of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes". Chicago, A. C. McCLURG & CO. 1914

This book is in the public domain, and can be accessed on the Project Gutenberg website: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44935 (Accessed 22 May, 2023).

Several First Nations Languages have the red-winged blackbird specifically labelled, showing that they were known by different people. Some examples:

Anishnaabe: From a CBC news article: Bird names being collected by Joe Pitawanakwat include the red-winged blackbird.

Source: https://oscar.sca.org/s.php?u=1321 [ www.cbc.ca ]

(Accessed 23 May, 2023)

Coast Salish From the publication: "A Intermediate Course in Colville-Okanagan Salish" by Sʕ ʔ (Sarah Peterson) with LaRae Wiley and Christopher Parkin Second Edition, Version 2

Found online at: http://www.interiorsalish.com/images/ns_601_lxcin_2_book.pdf (Accessed 22 May 2023).

Chipweyan and Cree words for the red-winged blackbird are recorded in "Short papers and Notes" (page 170) Published online by the University of Calgary https://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/arctic26-2-163.pdf (Accessed 23 May 2023).