At 7:15 a.m. this morning there was an adult male, molting COMMON GRACKLE at
the feeder in my backyard in Two Rivers County Park. (Washington DeLorme
page 39, 8-C).

On October 25, 1999, I reported a COMMON GRACKLE in east Kennewick (just 2
miles west of this location) which Steve Mlodinow felt was probably a COMMON
GRACKLE X BREWER'S BLACKBIRD hybrid because my description of the bird's
plumage color did not match that of the 'interior' subspecies of COMMON
GRACKLE. Further study of the matter on my part at that time lead me to
accept that since Quiscalus quiscula versicolor was the only probable COMMON
GRACKLE visitor to this area, and since the plumage of the bird I'd seen did
not match Quiscalus quiscula versicolor, that therefore the bird I'd seen
was probably a hybrid. Just over 3 months later this bird, or a very
similar one, made a brief appearance in Two Rivers County Park on February
2, 2000.

That said, and accepting that what I am about to suggest now is going to
reap great skepticism, nevertheless I believe that the bird that was at my
backyard feeder this morning was Quiscalus quiscula stonei - the
mid-Atlantic race of COMMON GRACKLE.

I'll begin my description by noting once again that this bird was molting.
The two central tail feathers were the only tail feathers showing and the
bird had an overall scruffy appearance. Clearly larger than nearby
Red-winged Blackbirds. Black legs. Prominent, down curving black bill.
Bright yellow eye with black pupil. Head, nape & breast were iridescent
blue. Tail, uppertail coverts & primaries were iridescent green. Greater
wing coverts were iridescent purple. Scapulars, back & belly were a barred
mix of bronze & purple. I'll add that I looked hard at this bird trying to
discover some feature of it's appearance that would suggest to me that it
was a hybrid of some kind and I was unable to find such a feature.



Dennis Rockwell Kennewick, WA dennis.rockwell at gte.net

There's an old saying which goes:
Once the last tree is cut and the last river poisoned,
you will find you cannot eat your money.
Joyce McLean