Boat-tailed Grackle Photo Gallery

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

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.

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.

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.