Boat-tailed Grackle

June 14, 2018

Boat-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus major

by Stefan Martin
If you’ve ever been to Florida or the Gulf Coast, chances are you’ve seen (or heard) Boat-tailed Grackles.

If you’ve ever spent much time along the Atlantic Coast south of New England for that matter, chances are, you’ve seen (or heard) Boat-tailed Grackles.

With a tenacious personality and a call to match, the Boat-tailed Grackle has little trouble making itself be known. Whether it’s the incessant calling directly into your ear, or the brazen attempts at picking the crumbs from your table, this species is anything but inconspicuous. Part survivalist and part mooch, Boat-tailed Grackles are often considered a nuisance in the heart of their range.

In Connecticut however, hearing the rolling metallic song of the Boat-tailed Grackle is a welcome surprise. Unlike its very similar and more abundant cousin, the Common Grackle, the Boat-tailed prefers coastal habitats (specifically, tidal marshes) and is an extremely localized breeder, with only a handful of confirmed colonies statewide in the past decade or so.

It has been expanding its range north into Connecticut. If this expansion continues, it won’t be very long before its range pushes further along coastal New England.

What they look like: There are two species of grackle that occur in Connecticut – Common Grackle and Boat-tailed Grackle. Differentiating between the two can sometimes be challenging if you’re not looking for the right field marks.

Location of your sighting can even be enough sometimes to eliminate Boat-tailed Grackle completely. As I mentioned before, it is restricted entirely to the immediate coastline (other than in Florida). So if you’re more than a mile or so from the coast, you can be fairly certain it’s not a Boat-tailed.

Structurally, Boat-tailed Grackles are larger with a longer, deeper-fluted tail and heavier bill. Head shape is also different, with Boat-tailed Grackle generally showing a “fluffier” and more rounded head. In the right light, the iridescent sheen of the males can also be helpful in your identification. Boat-tailed Grackles have a consistent bluish sheen throughout their bodies whereas the Common Grackle has a more “segmented” purplish iridescence.

Female Boat-tailed Grackles are less challenging and pretty straightforward. With a dark brown back, creamy-brown underparts and a faint but noticeable facial pattern and eye-stripe, there is no mistaking them for a female Common Grackle.

You can also identify Boat-tailed Grackles by the sounds they make, which you can listen to here.

Where and when to find them: It seems like every year this species is being reported from a new location along the Connecticut coastline, with eBird reports spanning from Greenwich to New London. So if you find yourself in suitable habitat, keep a lookout for these guys. Unlike most other blackbird species, Boat-tailed Grackles do not migrate long distances (if at all) and will overwinter near or around their breeding range. This means they can be found year-round in the state.

Historically, the most reliable spot to see Boat-tailed Grackle is in Stratford. In some years, wintering flocks around Sikorsky Airport can reach close to 30 individuals. In spring and summer, birds can be located anywhere along Pleasure Beach in Bridgeport, Long Beach in Stratford, and in the connecting marshes.

Another reliable place in recent years has been Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison. Boat-tailed Grackles are known to associate closely with people and can often be found in large coastal parks such as Hammo. The mix of beachgoers and expansive marsh are a perfect combination for this species.

Conservation Status: Although scarce to uncommon in the state, Boat-tailed Grackles are not only doing well overall, but one might say they are thriving. This can be seen firsthand as we watch the yearly range expansion into Connecticut. The IUCN has this species listed as Least Concern, showing a current increase in population size. I’m looking forward to seeing the data being collected for the new Connecticut Bird Atlas, as it should give us a better understanding of exact range and population size in our state.

Stefan Martin has led bird walks at our Milford Point Coastal Center and elsewhere, and is a seasoned hawk counter at Audubon Greenwich’s annual Quaker Ridge Hawk Watch. He is an avid outdoorsman and is a talented and well-rounded naturalist and a passionate conservationist.

Photos by Patrick Comins (top), and Mark Szantyr (female Boat-tailed, bottom).