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Huge flock of black birds southeast tn usa (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter lwood114
- Start date
birdboybowley
Well-known member.....apparently so ;)
Look too long tailed for Starlings which tend to wheel around in tight flocks. These look more like a species of blackbird
ProthonotaryWarbler
Well-known member
Hi Lwood 114,
The majority of these birds look like Common Grackles to my eye. Upon looking closely at the photo, many/all of these birds look long, slender bodied with a very long tail, both of which point to Common Grackle. Red-winged Blackbird would be slightly smaller and stockier with a noticeably shorter tail. Same goes to European Starling, upon which these field marks of shape would be even more exaggerated. I also echo what birdboybowley says about the formation of starling flocks; they are usually very tight and turn in formation. Being in Tennessee, the expected species to make up a large blackbird flock would be European Starling, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, and Red-winged Blackbird. Other species, such as Rusty Blackbirds, American Robin, and (if you're really lucky) Brewer's Blackbirds would occasionally mix in. Chances are, in as large a flock of grackles as this, there were probably at least a few Red-winged Blackbirds mixed in, although I couldn't pick any out of the photo at first glance. These two species commonly associate.
The majority of these birds look like Common Grackles to my eye. Upon looking closely at the photo, many/all of these birds look long, slender bodied with a very long tail, both of which point to Common Grackle. Red-winged Blackbird would be slightly smaller and stockier with a noticeably shorter tail. Same goes to European Starling, upon which these field marks of shape would be even more exaggerated. I also echo what birdboybowley says about the formation of starling flocks; they are usually very tight and turn in formation. Being in Tennessee, the expected species to make up a large blackbird flock would be European Starling, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, and Red-winged Blackbird. Other species, such as Rusty Blackbirds, American Robin, and (if you're really lucky) Brewer's Blackbirds would occasionally mix in. Chances are, in as large a flock of grackles as this, there were probably at least a few Red-winged Blackbirds mixed in, although I couldn't pick any out of the photo at first glance. These two species commonly associate.
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