The Boat-tailed Grackle is a very large, long-tailed blackbird of coastal marshes in the southeastern US. Males are iridescent black with enormously long, keel-shaped tails; females are brown. Unlike the nearly identical Great-tailed Grackle, the Boat-tailed has dark eyes in most of its range. Large, noisy colonies gather around marinas.
Habitat
Coastal marshes, mangroves, and towns of the southeastern and Gulf Coast
Diet
Insects, crabs, small fish, and food scraps
How common
Common
Recent Boat-tailed Grackle sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spot a Boat-tailed Grackle? Identify it instantly.
Point Huck at any plant or animal and get an instant ID, rarity, and field notes — building your personal nature collection as you go.
Get Huck — free