Great-tailed Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle: Large blackbird, iridescent black body and purple sheen. Yellow eyes. Long, keeled tail. Walks on ground, wades in water to forage. Eats snails, insects, frogs, shrimp, small fish and birds, eggs and young of other birds, fruits, berries, seeds and grains. Strong direct flight.
● Song:
"may-ree, may-ree"
● Foraging & Feeding:
Great-tailed Grackle: Feeds on insects, worms, small vertebrates (including tadpoles, small fish, and lizards), plant matter, and garbage. Forages while walking on the ground and wading in water; also steals food from other birds.
● Breeding & nesting:
Great-tailed Grackle: Three to four light blue to gray eggs with red purple markings are laid in a nest made of grass, bark, and weeds, and built in a palm or shade tree near water. Incubation ranges from 13 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.
● Similar species:
Great-tailed Grackle: Boat-tailed Grackle is usually dark-eyed.
● Range & Habitat:
Great-tailed Grackle: Resident from California, Colorado, Kansas, and western Louisiana southward. Preferred habitats include open areas with scattered trees, cultivated areas, marshes, parks, and areas around human habitation.