Carib Grackle vs Nicaraguan Grackle

Carib Grackle

Quiscalus lugubris

Medium63 gUrban

Male Carib grackles average 26 cm (10 in) long and females about 22 cm (8.7 in). Males weigh 66 to 80 g (2.3 to 2.8 oz) and females 49 to 58 g (1.7 to 2.0 oz). Males of all subspecies have a long keel-shaped ("V") tail; females' tails are shorter and flat. Adult males of the nominate subspecies Q. l. lugubris are completely black with a violet gloss on most of the body; it is slightly less strong on the underparts. The gloss is more violet-blue on the wing coverts and greener on the flight feathers. Voice: The Carib grackle's song varies among the subspecies but is "generally a series of squeaky notes". In the Antilles its vocalization is generally "3-7 syllables with rising inflection" and also "whistles and chucks". On Martinique it makes "a descending, Molothrus-like whistle followed by a complex warble" and on Trinidad "a series of rhythmic rattles ending in metallic sound".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: (c) Nicolas Olejnik, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Nicolas Olejnik · cc-by

Nicaraguan Grackle

Quiscalus nicaraguensis

Medium63 gWetland

It is a medium-sized bird with a long, graduated tail and fairly long bill and legs. The bill and legs are black and the eye is pale yellow. The male is about 31 cm long while the female is 25 cm. The adult male's plumage is entirely black with an iridescent gloss. The gloss is violet on the belly and tail, violet-green on the head, back, and breast, and blue-green on most of the wings. The tail of the male is V-shaped, rising from the centre to the outer feathers. Immature males are duller and less glossy than the adults, with a brown belly and thighs.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Daniel Ghyselinck · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Carib Grackle and Nicaraguan Grackle.