Quiscalus major
male
The Boat-tailed Grackle is a large, slender-bodied songbird, the males of which have a very long paddle-shaped tail. The sexes are dissimilar in plumage terms and males are larger than females. Adult males are black overall, with a bluish sheen on the head and a greenish sheen on the body. Adult females have reddish-brown body plumage with a subtly darker tail and wings; the tail is relatively shorter than that of the male. In adults of both sexes, the iris is pale in Atlantic coast birds but browner in Florida and Gulf Coast birds. Juveniles are similar to an adult female but duller, and with a dark iris.
The Boat-tailed Grackle is present year-round in a narrow coastal belt along the east and southeast coasts of North America. It is generally bold and easy to observe.
female
male
FACT FILE
LENGTH 15–17 in (38–43 cm)
FOOD Invertebrates, seeds, and berries
HABITAT Coastal wetlands
STATUS Locally common resident with a restricted range
VOICE Song is a mix of peculiar dry rattles, hisses, and chattering notes. Call is a soft tchek
