Great-tailed Grackle

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S DAY!



The Great-tailed Grackles were abundant in every place we visited in the Yucatan; Cancun, Mexico; 12/19/10.

Upon arriving in Cancun, Mexico, on Dec. 18, the first bird I encountered was the Great-tailed Grackle (Above), which at first I thought was the Boat-tailed Grackle, but was corrected by the locals. If I wasn't assured by several people that they were Great-tailed Grackles, I don't think I would be able to tell the difference by sight alone (Boat-tails are far less common down here and those that are present do not sport the pale iris).  The name for this member of the blackbird family is obvious - its large tail which is as long as the rest of its body length. The  male (above)  is completely black with a blue/purple iridescence to its feathers. The female (Below) is a grayish brown with a pale eyebrow and a dark cap. Both the male and female have a a pale iris which seems to glow in contrast to its dark body.

A female Great-tailed Grackle, Isla Mujeres, Mexico; 12/20/10.

Great-tails are very common yearound throughout Mexico and into the Southwest U.S. (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Southern Cal. and into Oklahoma and Nebraska).

Female Great-tailed Grackle and reflection; Cancun, Mexico; 12/19/10.

Female Great-tailed Grackle taking a drink; Cancun, Mexico; 12/25/10.

A male Great-tailed Grackle taking a bath in a local Cancun fountain; 12/21/10.

Iguana basking in the sun outside someone's front yard- Happy new year! Cancun, Mx; 12/19/10.