Boat-tailed Grackle

The Boat-tailed Grackle is a conspicuous, highly vocal blackbird of the southeastern coastal United States, closely tied to salt marshes, mangroves, and increasingly urban areas along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Males are considerably larger than females, a striking degree of sexual size dimorphism unusual among North American songbirds, and both sexes possess the long, distinctive keel-shaped tail that gives the species its name.

Males are glossy iridescent blue-black overall, while females are much smaller and a warm buffy brown, with a paler head and breast contrasting against darker wings and tail; eye color varies geographically, appearing pale yellow in most of the range but often dark in Florida populations.

Key field marks

• Long, keel-shaped (boat-shaped) tail, especially pronounced in males
• Male: large size, glossy iridescent blue-black plumage
• Female: much smaller, warm buffy brown overall
• Eye color pale yellow to dark, varying by region
• Rounder head shape than related grackles

Similar species

Great-tailed Grackle overlaps along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana and is very similar; Boat-tailed Grackle has a rounder head, generally a shorter tail relative to body size, a browner female, and a stronger preference for coastal/estuarine habitat compared to the more inland-tolerant Great-tailed Grackle.

Habitat

Boat-tailed Grackles are strongly tied to coastal habitats, especially salt marshes, mangroves, and estuaries, but also frequent urban and suburban areas, parking lots, and parks near the coast.

Range

The species is resident along the Atlantic coast from the mid-Atlantic states south through Florida, and along the Gulf Coast west to Texas, where its range overlaps with the similar Great-tailed Grackle.

Migration

Boat-tailed Grackles are non-migratory, remaining in their coastal range year-round.

Behavior

Boat-tailed Grackles are highly social, often forming large flocks and colonies, particularly around productive coastal feeding areas; they are opportunistic feeders taking insects, crustaceans, small fish, seeds, and readily scavenging food scraps in urban settings.

Voice

Vocalizations are loud and varied, including harsh rattles, whistles, and squeaky notes, often given in noisy group displays, particularly by males during the breeding season.

Nesting

Boat-tailed Grackles nest colonially, often over water in marsh vegetation or in trees and shrubs near the coast. Males are polygynous, mating with multiple females within a colony, and females alone build the nest and incubate typically 2-4 eggs.