Boat-tailed Grackle Similar Species Comparison

Main SpeciesBoat-tailed Grackle

Adult male

Large, lanky songbird with a long V-shaped tail, long legs, and a long, pointed bill. Adult males are glossy black overall with an iridescent purple sheen on the head. Individuals in Florida and along the Gulf Coast have a dark eye.

Female

Large and lanky with a long tail and bill. Females are dark brown above and russet below, with a subtle face pattern made up of a pale eyebrow, dark cheek, and pale mustache stripe.

Adult male

Adult males perform a variety of displays, often in pairs or larger groups.

Not all videos have sound

Immature male

Immature males are pale below and dark above with a dark eyeline and pale mustache stripe.

Adult male

Eye color ranges from dull brown along the western Gulf Coast to bright yellow along the Atlantic Coast.

Adult male

Walks slowly over the ground or in shallow water, pecking or probing at soil, litter, or low vegetation typically near salt and freshwater areas along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Not all videos have sound

Female

Large and lanky with a long tail and bill. Females are dark brown above and russet below, with a subtle face pattern made up of a pale eyebrow, dark cheek, and pale mustache stripe.

Adult male

Males display by holding their bills straight into the air. Gregarious year-round.

Adult male

Long-legged blackbird with a long bill. In good light, adult males have a greenish-blue iridescence.

Habitat

A coastal species associated with saltwater through most of its range, but in Florida often found well away from the immediate coast.

Similar SpeciesGreat-tailed Grackle

Adult male

Overlaps with Boat-tailed Grackle along the western Gulf Coast where Great-tailed Grackles have pale yellow eyes and Boat-tailed Grackles have dark eyes. Great-tailed Grackles are more likely to be seen away from coasts than Boat-tailed.

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