Great-tailed Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle
Adult male
- Large and lanky blackbird
- Very long, wedge-shaped tail, often folded when resting
- Long, pointed black bill
- Glossy violet-black overall with glowing pale yellow eyes
- © Ned Harris, AZ, Tucson, April 2010
Great-tailed Grackle
Adult female
- Large and lanky blackbird
- Stout, pointed black bill
- Dark above, warmer olive-brown below
- Pale stripe above glowing, pale-yellow eye
- © Joan Gellatly, AZ, Tucson, April 2010
Great-tailed Grackle
Adult male
- Large and lanky blackbird
- Very long, wedge-shaped tail, often folded
- Glossy blue-black overall with glowing pale yellow eyes
- Stout, pointed black bill
- © Kaustubh Deshpande, TX, Dallas, May 2009
Great-tailed Grackle
Adult female
- Large, lanky blackbird
- Dark above, warmer olive-brown below and on head
- Thick, pointed black bill
- Glowing, pale yellow eye
- © Joan Gellatly, AZ, Tucson, May 2009
Great-tailed Grackle
Adult male
- Large and lanky
- Very long wedge-shaped tail, often folded
- Glossy blue-black overall
- Glowing yellow eyes
- © Kaustubh Deshpande, TX, Dallas, May 2009
Great-tailed Grackle
Adult male displaying
- Large and lanky
- Very long tail, often fanned open during display
- Glossy violet-black body
- Stout, pointed black bill
- © Mark Summers, UT, Farmington, May 2011
Great-tailed Grackle
Adult male
- Large, lanky blackbird
- Very long, wedge-shaped tail often folded together when on ground
- Glossy violet-black overall
- Glowing pale yellow eye
- © Darin Ziegler, CO, Colorado Springs, April 2009
Great-tailed Grackle
Adult female
- Large and lanky
- Dark brownish gray above, warmer tan below
- Pale stripe above glowing pale yellow eye
- Thick, sharply-pointed bill
- © Darin Ziegler, CO, Colorado Springs, April 2009
Great-tailed Grackle
Adult female
- Dark brown above, warmer olive-brown below
- Pale stripe above glowing pale yellow eye
- Thick, pointed black bill
- © Brian L. Sullivan, CA, Monterey, March 2007
Great-tailed Grackle
Adult male
- Large and lanky blackbird
- Glossy violet-black overall
- Very long, wedge-shaped tail, often folded together when perched
- © Brian L. Sullivan, TX, Victoria, April 2011
Great-tailed Grackle
Immature
- Similar to adult female, but with dark eyes
- Darker brown above, warmer olive-tan below
- Thick, pointed black bill
- © Brian L. Sullivan, Catavina, Baja California, Mexico
Similar Species
Adult male
- Similar to Great-tailed Grackle but smaller and stockier
- Shorter tail
- Glossy violet/blue confined to head with green, olive and bronze tones on body
- © The Nature Nook , NH, May 2008
Adult female
- Similar to Great-tailed Grackle but smaller and chunkier
- Shorter tail
- Females show dark blue/black head and olive or bronze body
- © Tom Smith , Bernardsville, NJ, December 2007
Adult male (Gulf Coast)
- Similar to Great-tailed Grackle but with shorter tail and more rounded head
- Bill more slender than that of Great-tailed Grackle
- Florida/Gulf Coast population shows dark brown eyes
- Northern coastal population has glowing yellow eyes, but does not overlap with range of Great-tailed
- © catmca, Eau Gallie, FL, January 2009
Adult male (Atlantic)
- Similar to Great-tailed Grackle but smaller, with shorter tail
- Head more rounded than Great-tailed
- Northern Atlantic population shows pale eyed, but range does not overlap with Great-tailed
- © Byard Miller, AL, November 2007
Adult male
- Much smaller and stockier than Great-tailed Grackle
- Short, squared-off tail
- Thin, pointed bill
- Glossy green body, more blue/purple on head and breast
- © kewzoo, Berkeley, CA, March 2010
Adult male
- Much smaller and stockier than Great-tailed Grackle
- Bulging neck
- Red eye
- Short, thick bill
- © Joan Gellatly, Tucson, AZ, April 2011