Name this bird.

Factual Questions
21

The European Blackbird is a thrush (Turdidae, snicker if you must), and not closely related to the blackbirds found in the Americas, which belong to the Icteridae, which includes the New World orioles, meadowlarks, grackles, blackbirds, and various tropical groups. The European Starling is in yet another family, Sturnidae, and the crows and ravens are in the family Corvidae.

There are a bunch of “blackbirds” among the Icteridae:

Rusty Blackbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Tricolored Blackbird
Yellow-headed Blackbird

The grackles are also in the Icteridae and usually considered to be “blackbirds” in the broad sense:

Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle

So are the cowbirds:

Brown-headed Cowbird
Bronzed Cowbird

22

Well, I looked in my camera, and no pics.
But I’m going to go with “grackle”, as in elelle’s post. Partly because of her description and links, but mostly because I like the sound of the word. It fits the bird I saw in Austin. And I just like sassy animals (and people). I have some crow buddies who hang around my house.
Now if I could get a recording of their chorale serenade on my iPod, I’d be a happy man. :smiley:
Peace, and thanks all.
mangeorge

23

The male grackle has a v-shaped tail. Don’t know if Starlings do.

24

Starlings have a quite short, rather squared off tail. Grackles are quite different in shape, and have a tail almost as long as the body.