Common Grackle Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Common Grackles are large, lanky blackbirds with long legs and long tails. The head is flat and the bill is longer than in most blackbirds, with the hint of a downward curve. In flight, the wings appear short in comparison to the tail. Males are slightly larger than females.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Red-winged Blackbird; about the same size as a Mourning Dove

  robin-sized

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 11.0-13.4 in (28-34 cm)
    • Weight: 2.6-5.0 oz (74-142 g)
    • Wingspan: 14.2-18.1 in (36-46 cm)

  © T I / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Common Grackles appear black from a distance, but up close their glossy purple heads contrast with bronzy-iridescent bodies. A bright golden eye gives grackles an intent expression. Females are slightly less glossy than males. Young birds are dark brown with a dark eye.

• Behavior

  You’ll often find Common Grackles in large flocks, flying or foraging on lawns and in agricultural fields. They strut on their long legs, pecking for food rather than scratching. At feeders Common Grackles dominate smaller birds. When resting they sit atop trees or on telephone lines, keeping up a raucous chattering. Flight is direct, with stiff wingbeats.
• Habitat

  Common Grackles thrive around agricultural fields, feedlots, city parks, and suburban lawns. They’re also common in open habitats including woodland, forest edges, meadows, and marshes.

Regional Differences

The “bronzed grackle” race of the Common Grackle, breeding roughly west of the Appalachians and in New England, has the characteristic bronzy back. Birds of the Southeast, from North Carolina to Louisiana, often called the “Florida grackle,” are darker green on the back rather than bronzy, and they're purple on the belly. An intermediate race along the Eastern seaboard is sometimes called the purple grackle.

Regional Photos

© George Chiu / Macaulay LibraryNew York, April 23, 2017

© David Disher / Macaulay LibraryNorth Carolina, March 21, 2013