Boat-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus major
Large, lanky blackbird with rounded crown and long tail. Males have ridiculously long tails, almost as long as their body, often held in a V-shape like the keel of boat. Males are glossy black. Females are brown, with subtle face pattern. Eye color ranges from brown along western Gulf Coast to yellow on Atlantic Coast. Strictly coastal, except in Florida where they occur inland (often around human development). Overlaps with similar Great-tailed Grackle on Texas coast, but occurs more strictly in coastal saltmarshes and has dark eye (not pale).
Identification
The male boat-tailed grackle is 37–43 cm (15–17 in) long and weighs 165–250 g (5.8–8.8 oz). Adult males have entirely iridescent black plumage, a long dark bill, a pale yellowish or brown iris, and a long keel-shaped tail. The adult female is much smaller at 26–33 cm (10–13 in) long and a weight of 90–115 g (3.2–4.1 oz). She is also distinguished by her shorter tail and tawny-brown coloration, which covers the body apart from the darker wings and tail. The wingspan in adult birds is 39–50 cm (15–20 in). In standard measurements, this species measures 13–20 cm (5.1–7.9 in) along the wing bone, 11–20 cm (4.3–7.9 in) in tail length, 2–4.2 cm (0.79–1.65 in) along the culmen, and 3.6–5.8 cm (1.4–2.3 in) along the tarsus. On average, the boat-tailed grackle weighs about 10% more than the closely related great-tailed grackle, although the male great-tailed grackle has an even longer tail.<p>Young males are black but lack the adult's iridescence. Immature females are duller versions of the adult female and have blotches or spots on the breast. The eye color of the boat-tailed grackle varies with range. Gulf Coast and inland birds have dark eyes, whereas Atlantic birds have pale eyes.
Taxonomy
The boat-tailed grackle was first described by French naturalist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1819. Its specific epithet major means "larger" in Latin. Despite its restricted range, there are four subspecies of the boat-tailed grackle, differing in size and iris color. The boat-tailed grackle was once considered the same species as the great-tailed grackle. The great-tailed species is generally quite similar of slightly smaller body size but has a longer tail and lacks this species' distinct domed head shape. The common grackle, with which the boat-tailed species often overlaps along the Atlantic coastline, is noticeably smaller and shorter-tailed, as well as lacking the domed head shape. [citation needed]
- Scientific name
- Quiscalus major
- Authority
- Vieillot, 1819
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Icteridae
- Genus
- Quiscalus
Range and habitat
The boat-tailed grackle is found in coastal saltwater marshes and, in Florida, also on inland waters.[citation needed] In salt marsh areas, least bitterns will often associate with and make mixed colonies with grackles. Boat-tailed grackles have established significant populations in several United States Gulf Coast cities and towns, [citation needed] where they can be found foraging in trash bins, dumpsters, and parking lots.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Blue-billed Duck
Oxyura australis
Small stiff-tailed diving duck with a relatively slender dished bill. Floats very low in the water, and unlikely to be seen on land. Male has intense chestnut and black plumage, bright blue bill. Female is dark grayish. Usually observed on the water on deep wetlands. Much longer and less chunky bill than Musk Duck.
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
Large, brown shorebird with long, decurved bill. Note bold head stripes. Occurs on mudflats, beaches, and coastal marshes. Often in flocks, sometimes mixed with other large shorebirds like Willet or godwits. Extensive global range, breeding on the Arctic tundra and wintering on coastlines as far south as Tierra del Fuego. Generally uncommon to rare inland. Most similar to Bristle-thighed Curlew, which overlaps locally in Alaska and the South Pacific. Whimbrel is colder brown and lacks the bright buffy rump of Bristle-thighed. Also compare with shorter-billed Little Curlew in Asia, and larger curlews like Long-billed, Eurasian, and Far Eastern. Listen for call, a series of short, shrill whistles.
Northern Hawk Owl
Surnia ulula
Unique medium-sized owl of the boreal forest. Remarkably long-tailed for an owl; reminiscent of a small hawk in flight with quick, snappy wingbeats. Pale eyes give it an angry look. Brownish overall with white spotting above, barred underparts, and spotted crown. Feeds on small rodents by sight and sound. Often seen perched on the very top of a spruce tree or snag, surveying the surrounding landscape for prey. When rodent populations crash, large numbers of Northern Hawk Owls can move south of their normal range.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.