Help identifying grackles vs. cowbirds (1 Viewer)

[Zackiedawg]

I feel I may be routinely misidentifying some birds as 'grackles'...it was brought to my attention when I saw another photograph of basically the same bird I took, which the photographer identified as a 'cowbird'. Looking them up, it appears they are somewhat close in colorations, however most notably, it appears grackles have yellowish/golden eyes, and cowbirds have black eyes. I've also noted there are shiny and brown-headed cowbirds, of which I may have photographs of both.

If anyone can confirm the following, and help me determine which species I have in the following shots, I'd be much obliged. The links below will each take you to the photograph in the gallery, with EXIF data including date and time under each photo - locations in all cases were Boynton Beach, Florida:

1. http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/119596251/original

2. http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/123121865/original

3. http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/123417338/original

4. http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/123417343/original

5. http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/123844878/original

6. http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/123844890/original

7. http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/126269468/original

8. http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/127288913/original

9. http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/127288933/original

10. http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/127288934/original

In every case above, I've labeled the bird a grackle, with the black ones thought to be male, and brown ones female (#6 above I actually thought was a boat-tail grackle). Now, I'm wondering if I've gotten any of them correct at all. For reference, this was a shot last weekend in my front yard, which i am more confident actually IS a grackle:

11. http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/127288916/original

The yellow eye is very distinct, so now I'm quite unsure if I need to relabel various types and sexes of cowbirds!

 

[James Lidster]

No cowbirds in your photos! Although i dont know which grackles they are, i know they are grackles (as you say males and females)
Cheers
James

 

[emupilot]

The are all Boat-tailed Grackles. Both Brown-headed and Shiny Cowbirds have a conical bill, quite different from the long grackle bill.

 

[Kratter]

1-10 Boat-tailed Grackles, which have dark eyes in Florida. Photo 11 is a male Common Grackle, molting from juvenal to first basic (=formative) plumage.

Andy

 

[Zackiedawg]

Interesting...so indeed I was right. Any explanation on why those in the shots above seem to have black or dark eyes? I always had thought of grackles as yellow eyed, and just assumed the ones above were a slightly different coloration with a darker eye...so Florida grackles are often darker eyed?

And thank you for the confirmation of boat-tailed for all of them except #11 - I still do have some trouble identifying the differences between the common and boat-taileds. Would the eye color be any giveaway? #11 above in my yard is one of hundreds that gather in the trees all around my yard each late afternoon - as far as I can tell, all appear to be yellow-eyed like that one.

I'll need to really study those two closely in the guides.

Now I'm also rather determined to find a cowbird to photograph!

 

[Scrogdog]

Agree with others that all your photos are of Grackles. It's not unusual in area where I live to see Cowbirds mixed in with Grackles in flocks, but they are easy to differentiate from one another, particularly the Brown-headed Cowbird. Here's a couple of photos of a female and male Brown-headed Cowbird.

 

[Zackiedawg]

Thicker, shorter, blunter conical beak for sure...almost more like the red-winged blackbird shape, without the little kink. Appreciate the photos - that should make it easier to identify those when I'm out shooting.

 

[ultrazone]

Overall Common Grackles appear slimmer and more elongated compared to the compact Bronzed Cowbird. They also have a yellow eye whereas Bronzed Cowbirds have a red eye. https://verminkill.com/get-rid-of-grackles/