Great-tailed Grackle

[Bill Dix]

From Anahuac NWR a few weeks ago. Hazy sky.

D7000, 700mm, ISO 1000, 1/400s @ f/7.1 manual, fill @-1.3 EV.

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Hi Bill, nice high-key presentation and exposure control. Nice to see that tail on display here and the calling pose. Speaking of which, do you remember the call? Because I'm leaning toward Boat-taileded on this one.

[Bill Dix]

Hi Bill, nice high-key presentation and exposure control. Nice to see that tail on display here and the calling pose. Speaking of which, do you remember the call? Because I'm leaning toward Boat-taileded on this one.

Thanks Sid. No, I don't remember the call. This was a new bird for me (or at least I thought). I looked for any green iridescence, but it seemed entirely bluish so I assumed Great-tailed. But if you think Boat-tailed, I'll happily yield to a Texan who is used to seeing both.

[andresleon]

The boat-tailed and great-tailed are very similar in shape and appearance but have totally different callings. Take a look at http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/g...led_grackle/id and http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/b...led_grackle/id to hear the difference between the two.

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Bill, it's a bit tricky to tell them apart visually, and I wasn't a 100% sure about this one.
Other than the call, the differences are that the boat-tailed has a rounder head and a shorter tail. The great-tailed has a fairly flat head. On those two counts, I went with Boat-tailed.
However, the boat-tailed eye is a duller shade of yellow than this, from what I've seen. (Did you dodge/brighten it?)

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Bill, it's a bit tricky to tell them apart visually, and I wasn't a 100% sure about this one.
Other than the call, the differences are that the boat-tailed has a rounder head and a shorter tail. The great-tailed has a fairly flat head. On those two counts, I went with Boat-tailed.
However, the boat-tailed eye is a duller shade of yellow than this, from what I've seen. (Did you dodge/brighten it?)

If the eye is this bright, I think GT is a good call. Sorry about causing all the confusion :)

[Bill Dix]

If the eye is this bright, I think GT is a good call. Sorry about causing all the confusion :)

I adjusted the shadows just slightly to try and bring some detail into the blacks of the head. That may have brightened the eye just a tiny bit, although it looks pretty much like the RAW file to me. I guess we'll never know. I wish I had paid more attention to the call. On that subject, listening to the several calls on AllAboutBirds, the Boat-tailed call seems to include a bunch of wing-flapping. I do remember hearing the wing-flapping; I don't know if both species do that. If that's a signature of the Boat-tailed, then that's what it probably is.

[Geoffrey Montagu]

Great calling capture, Bill. Looks as if he's put his entire body into the call. The Great-tailed Grackle has long legs and these appear to be so.




Geoffrey

[Sidharth Kodikal]

That may have brightened the eye just a tiny bit, although it looks pretty much like the RAW file to me.

Then it's certainly a GT. Also confirmed with an ornithologist friend. Although this was quite instructive for me, I apologize for hijacking your thread, Bill.

[Bill Dix]

Then it's certainly a GT. Also confirmed with an ornithologist friend. Although this was quite instructive for me, I apologize for hijacking your thread, Bill.

Not hijacking at all. It was instructive for me as well. I appreciate the chance to learn; next time I'll pay attention to the calls. Thanks.

[Andy Shepherd]

Great job bringing out all that detail in such a high-key image, Bill.