Does anyone know what kind of bird this is? (1 Viewer)

[benpilot7]

I'm a new bird watcher so this is probably an easy question. Just wondering what type of bird this is. Picture taken in San Antonio Texas.

 

[delia todd]

Hi Benpilot and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators.

I've moved your post to the ID forum, as they're better placed to help you in there. I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Location please?

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Welcome to Birdforum Benpilot!

Your bird is a female Grackle sp - Great-tailed Grackle or Boat-tailed possibly but wait for further confirmation - (location would help as Boat-tailed (pale eyed) also occurs in Georgia I think and I’m not sure how to separate them)

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Hi Ben and welcome to BirdForum. A location would be very helpful.

Rich

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum! I am sure that you will find lots to interest you here and I hope that you enjoy your visits.

 

[Nutcracker]

Welcome to Birdforum Benpilot!

Your bird is a female Grackle sp - Great-tailed Grackle or Boat-tailed possibly but wait for further confirmation - (location would help as Boat-tailed (pale eyed) also occurs in Georgia I think and I’m not sure how to separate them)

No Great-tailed in Georgia (unless their range has expanded dramatically since Sibley came out!) so it has to be Boat-tailed, assuming it is taken at or near the poster's home

 

[Deb Burhinus]

No Great-tailed in Georgia (unless their range has expanded dramatically since Sibley came out!) so it has to be Boat-tailed, assuming it is taken at or near the poster's home

That’s why I (and others!) asked for a location - unless you know how to separate them on plumage?

 

[Microtus]

Welcome to the Forum, ben. You photographed a female Boat-tailed Grackle. Great-tails are not normally found in Georgia.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Welcome to the Forum, ben. You photographed a female Boat-tailed Grackle. Great-tails are not normally found in Georgia.

As matter of interest, if this photo was not taken in Georgia (The OP has not yet given a location) how would you separate this from a Great-tailed Grackle?

Note, there are dark-eyed and paled eyed Boat-tailed Grackle so again, I am interested to know where if any, the overlap might be of both pale and dark eyed B-tailed - Georgia seems to span the cross-over (again if taken in Georgia)

 

[Microtus]

As matter of interest, if this photo was not taken in Georgia (The OP has not yet given a location) how would you separate this from a Great-tailed Grackle?

Note, there are dark-eyed and paled eyed Boat-tailed Grackle so again, I am interested to know where if any, the overlap might be of both pale and dark eyed B-tailed - Georgia seems to span the cross-over (again if taken in Georgia)

I'm assuming that the bird was photographed in Georgia. Pale-eye female Boat-tailed Grackles are found on the Atlantic coast according to the 6th edition of the National Geographic field guide. There are also pale-eyed birds in the stretch from coastal Mississippi to northwestern Florida. Darkeyed birds would be found in the rest of Florida as well as west of coastal Mississippi.

 

[benpilot7]

Hi Ben and welcome to BirdForum. A location would be very helpful.

Rich

The location is San Antonio Texas if I remember correctly.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

The location is San Antonio Texas if I remember correctly.

Cheers Ben.

Rich

 

[KC Foggin]

Grackle is my first thought and probably a female.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

The location is San Antonio Texas if I remember correctly.

Your bird is a female Grackle sp - Great-tailed Grackle or Boat-tailed possibly but wait for further confirmation - (location would help as Boat-tailed (pale eyed) also occurs in Georgia I think and I’m not sure how to separate them)

Note, there are dark-eyed and paled eyed Boat-tailed Grackle so again, I am interested to know where if any, the overlap might be of both pale and dark eyed B-tailed - Georgia seems to span the cross-over (again if taken in Georgia)

No Great-tailed in Georgia (unless their range has expanded dramatically since Sibley came out!) so it has to be Boat-tailed, assuming it is taken at or near the poster's home

As matter of interest, if this photo was not taken in Georgia (The OP has not yet given a location) how would you separate this from a Great-tailed Grackle?

Welcome to the Forum, ben. You photographed a female Boat-tailed Grackle. Great-tails are not normally found in Georgia.

So again:

How would you and Nutcracker separate a Female Great-tailed from a female Boat-tailed - neither of you answered my question?

I would have thought this was a Great-tailed Grackle if it was seen in Texas - The Boat-tailed overlaps here would be dark-eyed Boat-tailed I beleive.

Again, further confirmation would be appreciated.

 

[Nutcracker]

So again:

How would you and Nutcracker separate a Female Great-tailed from a female Boat-tailed - neither of you answered my question?

I would have thought this was a Great-tailed Grackle if it was seen in Texas - The Boat-tailed overlaps here would be dark-eyed Boat-tailed I beleive.

Again, further confirmation would be appreciated.

Yes, if San Antonio, Texas, I'd agree, Great-tailed. I was rather assuming that the location in Ben's profile would be where the pic was taken!

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

Based on range, it's a Great-tailed, since Boat-tailed is more coastal. And Deb is correct that the Boat-tails in Texas would be dark-eyed, so that again points to Great-tailed.

 

[Microtus]

Obviously if it's a light-eyed grackle in Texas it's a Great-tailed. Boat-tails get nowhere near San Antonio and they have dark eyes in the state.

eta: from the National Geographic field guide: Boat-tails have "smaller overall size, duller eye color, and more rounded crown than Great-tailed Grackle."