After studying my giant grackle flock yesterday, I felt pretty good about black bird ID, at least the common ones.  Today brought a group of blackbirds to my feeder, and there is one bird that puzzles me.  I'd like some help on the ID. 

Here's the story:

About a dozen or so brown headed cow birds flew in.  There was one bird that was larger that came in and fed by itself, slightly separated from the flock.  At first I thought it was a bronzed grackle.  It was larger than the cow birds, had a dark head and a flat, dark brown body.  The eye was bright yellow. Without any other grackles around, I was okay with the ID as a bronzed grackle, and pleased to have a new bird at my feeder.  

Pretty soon, however, the bird flew over next to the cowbirds, and I realized it was only slightly larger than the cowbirds.  This bird was no way double the size.  Then a couple of red winged blackbirds flew in and sat next to our bird-in-question.  They were almost the same size, with this bird very slightly larger.  And a starling, again, just a tad smaller than this bird. 

The book I have has cowbird as  7 inches,  starling as 8 inches, redwing as 8.5 inches, rusty blackbird 9 inches, Brewer's blackbird 9 inches, and Common Grackle as 12 inches.  

I had a very good and very close look at this bird.  It really was not 12 inches, no way.  It was only slightly bigger than the smaller black birds, so 9 inches sounds like the right size.  

The bill on this bird was smaller and thinner than a grackle, I think.  The grackles I saw so wonderfully close up yesterday had a fairly massive, strong bill with the impression of a slightly downturned tip.  This bill was straighter and thinner.  It also was dark - probably black.  

I'm having trouble making it a Rusty Blackbird, or a Brewer's because of the dark head on a dull, chocolate brown body.  The dark head could have been deep brown, black or slightly purplish.  It was shiny, compared to the dull body feathering.  That's why I thought it was a Grackle to start with, because the head was dark and slightly shiny, maybe even purplish gloss.  My books show Brewers as having a purplish gloss on head and a greenish gloss on body - I didn't see the greenish at all - it was dull and brown.  Even in bad light it had no gloss and no green that I could tell. My book says that Rusty Blackbird is dull black overall, with feathers edged with rusty brown on head, back and wings.  The head was distinctly different than the body. 

So maybe it was a mini-bronzed-grackle.  Maybe it was something else.  I just don't know.  Wish a common grackle had flown in for a complete comparison!  

Now, I have 3 photos, taken by a point and shoot camera through three layers of puppy-paw-printed glass, showing the bird with cowbirds, through the falling snow.  Needless to say, they aren't the best.  But they do show the size comparison, the eye and give a hint at the coloration vs. cowbird. 

If anyone would like to hazard a guess, or give me a tutorial on what this critter might be, I'd be grateful.  If you want the photos, email me privately and I'll send them along.  

I sure would like to figure this out - it's a great learning opportunity!  

Thanks to all, 

Joanne

Joanne Howl, DVM

west river, md