Great-Tailed Grackle or Boat-Tailed Grackle?

General appearance

Boat-tailed Grackles are about the size of a crow, possessing a black, brown, and tan color. They feature rounded wings and have a long, rounded, or wedge-shaped tail, resembling a Great-tailed Grackle but with a shorter tail and rounder head. Differences can be noted in their eye color depending on the geographical location. In Texas-Louisiana coast overlap region, Boat-tails have dark eyes.

Male vs female

Size variations exist between male and female boat-tailed grackles. Males measure between 41 and 43 cm, while females are notably smaller, ranging between 33 and 35 cm. As such, males are generally larger than the females.

Juvenile

Interestingly, young Boat-tails, much like their Great-tail counterparts, have dark eye color. It's important to note that Boat-tails found north from northeast Florida possess yellow eyes. This characteristic sets them apart and could be useful in identification.

Primary habitat

The boat-tailed grackle primarily inhabits marshes, beaches, and areas close to the coast. They're also found near bodies of water like flooded fields and mudflats, and in drier fields in coastal regions.

Additional range

Unexpectedly, the grackle may occupy areas quite inland in Florida, though they're typically found near marshes and lakes.

Natural diet

The boat-tailed grackle is omnivorous, primarily sourcing its diet from water. It consumes a variety of aquatic food such as insects, snails, crayfish, crabs, mussels, shrimp, tadpoles, frogs, and small fish. On land, it eats insects like grasshoppers and caterpillars, and occasionally the eggs and young of other birds. Seasonally, seeds and grains also play a significant role in its diet.

Bird feeders

Common foods that boat-tailed grackles might consume at bird feeders include grain, seeds, and sometimes nuts or suet. They are also known to eat various types of birdseed blends offered at these feeders.