Boat-tailed Grackle

Quiscalus major

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

42 cm (16-17") Common. Atlantic coastal saltwater marshes as far north as Canada, Gulf Coast to southern Texas, inland in Florida along lakes and streams.

Eye color varies; Atlantic birds have yellow eyes, Florida birds brown, Gulf Coast either brown or yellow.

Male: large iridescent blue-black grackle with a very long V-shaped tail. . Best told from similar male Great-tailed Grackle by location and song.

Female: light brown overall with darker wings and tail. Best told from similar female Great-tailed Grackle by location and song.

Song: ascending squeaky calls and gurgles.

Details in the field

Photo gallery

4 photos

Female - St. Simons Island, Georgia, US - November 4, 2011

Credit: Evangelio Gonzalez

Male - St. Simons Island, Georgia, US - November 4, 2011

Credit: Evangelio Gonzalez

Female - Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, US - April 30, 2012

Credit: Rachid H

Males - Wakodahatchee Waste Water Treatment Area, South Florida

Credit: Richard Crook

Watch and learn

Videos

1 video

male boat-tailed grackles competition, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

Credit: Timothy Ng

Where it lives

Distribution map

Source legend · original intervals

Loading the rebuilt map…

Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 4 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Boat-Tailed Grackle (Male)

2 rules

Rule 1 12 criteria confidence 5

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Long · Very Long · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Robin-sized · Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States

result:994-boat-tailed-grackle-male:1:1 Source: 994 Boat-Tailed Grackle (Male), row 1

Rule 2 12 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Long · Very Long · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Robin-sized · Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southwestern United States

result:994-boat-tailed-grackle-male:2:1 Source: 994 Boat-Tailed Grackle (Male), row 2

Boat-Tailed Grackle (Female)

2 rules

Rule 1 14 criteria confidence 5

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Long · Very Long · Unknown
Were the SIDES STREAKED, SPOTTED or BARRED ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Uniform color · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Robin-sized · Pigeon-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States

result:995-boat-tailed-grackle-female:1:1 Source: 995 Boat-Tailed Grackle (Female), row 1

Rule 2 14 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Long · Very Long · Unknown
Were the SIDES STREAKED, SPOTTED or BARRED ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Uniform color · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Robin-sized · Pigeon-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southwestern United States

result:995-boat-tailed-grackle-female:2:1 Source: 995 Boat-Tailed Grackle (Female), row 2