Common Grackle Photo Gallery
Adult male
Large, lanky blackbirds with long legs, a long tail, and a long and heavy bill. Adult males appear dark overall, but have an iridescent bluish head and bronzy body in good light.
© Jack & Holly Bartholmai / Macaulay LibraryWisconsin, April 06, 2018Female
Lanky blackbird with a long tail and heavy, long bill. Females are slightly less glossy than males.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, May 29, 2015Adult males
The typical song, made by both males and females, is a guttural squeak accompanied by high-pitched, clear whistles. It lasts just less than a second and is often described as sounding like a rusty gate. While singing, males puff up their body feathers and spread their tails.
© Sarah Dzielski / Macaulay LibraryLouisiana, March 27, 2016Not all videos have soundAdult male
Struts on long legs, pecking for food rather than scratching.
© Melissa James / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, February 16, 2019Adult male
Noisy and conspicuous blackbird with a long tail.
© Logan Parker / Macaulay LibraryMaine, April 27, 2017Female (Purple form)
Females of the purple form can be similarly colored to males, but note the shorter tail that lacks a paddle shape.
© Michael O'Brien / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, February 24, 2019Female (Bronze form)
Females can be very dark, notably those of the bronze form.
© Ida & Carlos Furtado / Macaulay LibraryOntario, June 08, 2020Juvenile
Lanky blackbird with a long tail and hefty bill. Immatures are brownish overall, with a dark eye, and less glossy than adults.
© Simon Boivin / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, August 08, 2017Juvenile
Comes to bird feeding stations, where it often feeds on seeds on the ground.
© Maxima Gomez-Palmer / Macaulay LibraryIllinois, July 15, 2020Adult male
Found in agricultural fields, feedlots, city parks, and suburban lawns. They’re also common in open habitats including woodland, forest edges, meadows, and marshes.
© Epi Shemming / Macaulay LibraryManitoba, May 13, 2017
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