Do common grackles deserve their bad reputation? Learn why they're cooler than you think — and why scientists are watching ...

However, their broad, fan-shaped tails set them apart. Their heads are flat, not rounded like boat-tailed grackles. These birds are common from Texas and Oklahoma to southern California.

Common grackles show more complex and brighter iridescence patterns than the Brewer’s, with a characteristic abrupt break in color from the head iridescence to that of the body. Breeding Bird ...