About the Velvet-fronted Grackle
The velvet-fronted grackle is a species of bird in the family Icteridae, monotypic within the genus Lampropsar. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical swamps and heavily degraded former forest.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The male velvet-fronted grackle grows to about 22 cm (9 in) and the female about 19 cm (7.5 in). Both sexes are entirely black, with a slight bluish gloss on the dorsal surfaces. The feathers at the front of the crown are very short and dense, giving a velvet-like appearance at close quarters. The beak is short, conical and pointed, the iris is dark and the tail is long and somewhat rounded. The calls produced include a crackling "chack" and a whistling "cheziit", and the song, sometimes sung at dusk from a perch, is a moderately-musical rapid gurgling sound.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in February · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Yellow-shouldered BlackbirdAgelaius xanthomusThe yellow-shouldered blackbird, as its name implies, is a glossy black bird with a small yellow humeral patch around its "shoulders" outlined by a white margin.
Bar-winged OrioleIcterus maculialatusThe bar-winged oriole is 20.5 to 23 cm (8.1 to 9.1 in) long and weighs 31 to 59 g (1.1 to 2.1 oz).
Nicaraguan GrackleQuiscalus nicaraguensisIt is a medium-sized bird with a long, graduated tail and fairly long bill and legs.
Learn the Velvet-fronted Grackle for real
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