March 30, 2011
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
I thought I had spotted an American Crow (Corvus bachyrhynchos),
since the iridescent plumage of the Common Grackle isn't visible at
at a distance (or in this silhouette shot). Elizabeth Wylde pointed out
the yellow eye (crows have black eyes) and the narrower beak. By the
time a bird is old enough to leave the nest it has the overall shape and
bill typical of the species, so you can use the bill for ID purposes.
Description and Photo by Carol Collura © 2011