Common Grackle
Guerneville Bay, Sonoma County
Friday, 4 January 2002
Joseph Morlan
After good luck with the Emperor Goose at
Bodega Bay, Robbie Fischer and I decided to drive to Guerneville in search of the Common Grackle which had reportedly
been found 23 December 2001 by Peter Pyle and which had been seen by numerous observers since. We arrived about
4pm and quickly found the grackle perched in a dead tree with a larger flock of Brewer's Blackbirds across the
street from the Safeway. Eventually it moved over to the parking lot and even fed on the ground where some stale
bread had been thrown out. Most views were through a scope while the bird was sitting in the bare trees.
The following description is based on notes made while watching the bird:
A large blackbird, decidedly larger than adjacent Brewer's Blackbirds and with radically different iridescent coloration..
The head and face were an iridescent deep blue color with no trace of purple. This blue color contrasted with a green shine on the chest and upper breast which contrasted with a brownish, bronze color on the belly. The back was brownish with a strong greenish cast in some lighting conditions and it contrasted with the blue crown and nape. The scapulars and wing coverts were a striking bronze color.
The tail was much longer and more graduated than on the Brewer's Blackbirds with the outer tail feathers being only slightly more than half the length of the longest central rectrices.
The eye was pale with a small black pupil. The bill was more massive and the head flatter than on adjacent Brewer's Blackbirds. The mouth lining was grayish with a slight pinkish cast. The legs and feet were dark gray.
The bird vocalized quite a bit. The birds were all very noisy, but I felt the grackle gave a much higher, thinner, more slurred whistle call than anything the Brewer's Blackbirds said. It also gave a rapid double-note that was quite distinct.
An nice collage of photos contributed by Kevin McKereghan has been posted here.