[littletiff99]

I took pictures on separate occasions on what I thought were great tailed grackles. Upon looking back at my pictures I realised that the 2 birds looked different. I saw the first one in San Diego, California and the second one much further north in Malibu, California. Are these different species or just color variations of the great tailed grackle?

[Bird_Bill]

Just opinion, believe both are normal variations of female GTG. Irradesence and polarization of light by blackbird plumage is awesome. Your two pics are probably seperated by 3 degrees of latitude in addition to varience of time of day and year, the angles shots were taken. With those factors and maybe diet and gene pool varience's also, inclined to believe they're just two of same "birds" of a slightly different feather.

[littletiff99]

Originally Posted by Bird_Bill

Just opinion, believe both are normal variations of female GTG. Irradesence and polarization of light by blackbird plumage is awesome. Your two pics are probably seperated by 3 degrees of latitude in addition to varience of time of day and year, the angles shots were taken. With those factors and maybe diet and gene pool varience's also, inclined to believe they're just two of same "birds" of a slightly different feather.

Thanks, that's what I thought. I didn't even realise they were different until I was comparing them side by side.

[BuzT]

Two nice pictures. Having travelled down the west coast ofthe US and Mexico recently, I can confirm that yes the female GTG does show these regional differences.