Hi Everyone,

While entertaining guests yesterday afternoon (10/26), I looked up to spot a striking BRONZED GRACKLE perched in the late afternoon light. This is the subspecies that breeds generally west of the Appalachians that is the less common migrant and wintering subspecies in Maryland. It was my first of the year, and my earliest sighting of the subspecies in Maryland so far. 

Per Birds of North America On-Line:

"Q. q. versicolor Vieillot, 1819. Often called the Bronzed Grackle, this race breeds over most of the range of the species north and west of a line running from central Louisiana to s. New England along western margin of the Appalachians. This race is highly migratory, wintering south to s. Texas and east to South Carolina, thus overlapping with the next 2 subspecies; versicolor also accounts for all records of vagrant Common Grackles to the west of the Rocky Mtns. This race is less variable in coloration than the next and typically shows a uniformly brassy bronze back and belly and purplish tail. The head color is somewhat variable but usually blue-green. This race was formerly considered a separate species."

Also:

"Fall migration can begin in Aug–Sep, but typically peaks late Oct–early Nov (Dolbeer 1982, Peterjohn 1989) and is mostly completed by early Dec (Meanley and Dolbeer 1978)"

Good birding,

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com