Common Grackle

I'm not great with vocalizations, and this bird was so far up in a tree that I didn't know who was up there until I processed my pictures. Although I was pretty far out on an overgrown trail, he turned out to be a bird more conveniently seen at a bird feeder, a Common Grackle.

And although this particular bird seemed to be all alone, grackles are relatively social birds seen in flocks with both more grackles and other birds like European Starlings and Red-winged Blackbirds. Perhaps he was vocalizing to find some company? This picture was from last November, so a mating call would have been premature. 

The dark blue sheen and bright eyes generally make grackles easy to identify, at least when you get a reasonably good look, and this is the most likely grackle to find in my area. (I've talked a little about the other grackles before.)

November 19, 2021 at Glenhurst Meadows
Photo 170813206, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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