Boat tailed grackle female?! Philadelphia, PA (1 Viewer)

[smallonion]

Hi!
Today in my yard I had a big brown bird. At first I thought some type of crow, but on getting a better look, it was smaller than a crow, and looked a lot like a grackle. However, it was brown, not black -and not an iridescent brown, just a brown. Upon looking it up, it appears to be a female boat tailed grackle. The pictures are exactly what my bird looks like. What are the chances of that bird showing up in my yard in Philadelphia, PA (I have lots of feeders)

 

[MLoyko]

Sibley's shows them going up the east coast so it doesn't look like it would be highly unlikely one could find its way towards you down there in Philly, now up by me in Allentown (although not that far away) I think I would be less likely to see one.

 

[Jim M.]

It would be an unusual sighting. Ebird does not have any reports of Boat-tailed Grackle for Pennsylvania, though there are numerous reports for the Jersey Coast. But Philadelphia is pretty far from the coast.

Common Grackle juveniles can look dark brown. Starling juveniles can be light brown but have short tails.

Best,
Jim

 

[MLoyko]

It would be an unusual sighting. Ebird does not have any reports of Boat-tailed Grackle for Pennsylvania, though there are numerous reports for the Jersey Coast. But Philadelphia is pretty far from the coast.

Common Grackle juveniles can look dark brown. Starling juveniles can be light brown but have short tails.

Best,
Jim

right

 

[smallonion]

It would be an unusual sighting. Ebird does not have any reports of Boat-tailed Grackle for Pennsylvania, though there are numerous reports for the Jersey Coast. But Philadelphia is pretty far from the coast.

Common Grackle juveniles can look dark brown. Starling juveniles can be light brown but have short tails.

Best,
Jim

Thanks - then it must be a juvie Common Grackle. It is MUCH too big to be a starling baby., and a darker brown than the starling babies I see around here.