Boat-tailed Grackle

Overview

The Boat-tailed Grackle is a large, strongly sexually dimorphic blackbird closely tied to coastal habitats of the southeastern and Gulf Coast United States. Males are considerably larger than females and display a long, keeled tail, while females are notably smaller and plainer brown.

• Strong size difference between males and females, among the largest in North American songbirds
• Tail is held in a distinctive V-shaped or keeled profile in flight and display
• Closely tied to coastal salt marsh and shoreline habitat

Feather Identification

Boat-tailed Grackle feathers differ dramatically between the sexes.

• Tail feathers (male): Long, keeled (V-shaped in cross-section), glossy black with blue or purple iridescence
• Body feathers (male): Glossy black overall, with iridescent sheen strongest on the head and back
• Body feathers (female): Considerably smaller, warm brown above and paler buffy-brown below, lacking iridescence
• Tail feathers (female): Shorter and less strongly keeled than the male's
• The long, keeled tail feathers combined with large size and glossy iridescence are diagnostic for adult male feathers of this species

Plumage, Sex & Age Differences

Adult males are glossy black with a long, keeled tail and iridescent sheen. Females are considerably smaller and plain warm brown, without iridescence, and show a shorter tail. Juveniles resemble females initially. A complete molt occurs after breeding.

Habitat & Range

Boat-tailed Grackles are non-migratory residents of coastal salt marshes, mangroves, and shorelines along the Atlantic coast from the Mid-Atlantic states south through Florida and along the Gulf Coast. The species rarely strays far from coastal or brackish habitat.

Behavior, Voice & Field Notes

Boat-tailed Grackles forage on the ground and in shallow water for insects, other invertebrates, and various food scraps, often around marshes, docks, and coastal developments. Males give a variety of loud, harsh calls and displays during the breeding season, often perching prominently while calling. The species breeds in loose colonies within marsh vegetation, with a mating system in which a small number of males mate with many females.