Male Boat-tailed Grackle
by Mary Beth Landis
Title
Male Boat-tailed Grackle
Artist
Mary Beth Landis
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
As I stood on the fishing pier below the World War Memorial Bridge connecting Somers Point to Ocean City, NJ, I watched several of these birds apparently looking for breakfast.
This Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major) is found only along the coast. This large member of the blackbird family nests in salt marshes and eats small fish and crustaceans. During the winter they form large flocks and may be found in residential areas, marinas and cities.
Large, slender birds with substantial bills, Boat-tailed Grackles often hold their long tails in a V-shape. The males are essentially black from bill to tail. Their feathers have a metallic shine, with the crown and neck a glossy blue-black, and the body a glossy greenish-black. The female is a light, warm brown with dark brown wings and tail. The female ear is darker brown under a pale eyebrow. The eyes of both sexes are yellow. The size of a small crow, the male Boat-tailed Grackle weighs 8 ounces, grows to 16.5 inches, and has a 23-inch wingspan. Females are smaller, weighing 4.2 ounces, and reaching 14.5 inches in length, with a 17.5 inch wingspan.
Uploaded
November 2nd, 2013
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Viewed 112 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 03/28/2024 at 9:41 AM
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