Pl. XC
The Birds · Plate XC
Boat-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus major
Icteridae · Taxon 9601
| Length | 26–37 cm (10.2–14.6 in) |
| Wingspan | 39–50 cm (15.3–19.7 in) |
| Weight | 93–239 g (3.3–8.4 oz) |
Field marks
- Large, lanky blackbird with a rounded crown and long dark legs
- Long, pointed black bill
- Adult male glossy black with blue-green to purple iridescence
- Very long, broad tail often held in a V or keel shape
- Female smaller and brown, with russet underparts and darker wings and tail
- Adult iris varies from dark brown to pale yellow
HabitatPrimarily salt marshes, tidal shorelines, mudflats, beaches, and flooded fields; also occurs around freshwater marshes and lakes in parts of its range. Usually remains close to water and may forage in nearby open or developed areas.
BehaviorGregarious and often colonial, with communal roosts. Walks on shorelines and through shallow water, rapidly probing and pecking for aquatic prey, insects, seeds, and other opportunistic foods. Displaying males fluff their plumage, spread the tail, flutter the wings, and point the bill upward while calling.
Palette
blackblue-greendeep purplerusset brownpale yellow