Quiscalus major Vieillot, 1819

Boat-tailed Grackle

Florida native

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Boat-tailed grackles are usually found in coastal areas from Brownsville, Texas to Rhode Island and throughout the Florida peninsula.
Quiscalus major is North America's medium-sized grackle with males typically 42cm (16-1/2 in.) long with a 58.4cm (23 in.) wingspan. Females are smaller at 37cm (14-1/2 in.) length and 44.5cm (17-1/2 in.) wingspan. Males appear dark revealing the iridescent colors in the sunlight of a bluish head and greenish-blue body. Females are a rufous-brown, slightly lighter underneath. Atlantic coast birds have yellow eyes, Gulf Coast (except Alabama and Mississippi where they are mostly dirty yellow) and most Florida birds have dark brown eyes. All are long-legged.

Quiscalus major is a member of the Icteridae - Blackbirds, Orioles and relatives family.

iNaturalist profile for this species

For more information on this species, visit the following link:
Cornell Lab All About Birds page for this species

Date record last modified: Sep 22, 2023