I am sending this to tweeters at the suggestion of Dennis Paulson. This is the text of an email conversation that I sent to Dennis on Sunday.

Dennis,

I too observed this bird for quite some time ( 5 - 10 minutes) on Sunday, 10-27. What is not apparent in the photos is that this bird is indeed 1.5 time the size of all of the Brewer's. I had good views of this bird with several adult Brewer's and it is head and shoulders larger. Views were had with Brewer's in front and behind within inches of the bird. The bill is quite large in comparison to the Brewer's, but smallish I think toward the grackle family (rest assured I am no expert in these matters). The square tail is puzzling. Perhaps we are looking at an integrade. With the grackle hanging around with the Brewer's and this bird being amazingly large this might be possible. Granted, it is highly unlikely, but it would explain the size differences and at the same time explain the lack of a grackle tail. Just a hypothesis to be sure. Had I not seen this bird first hand I would not be so prone to theorizing. It definitely is not a Brewer's blackbird, it doesn't appear to be a grackle of any race, maybe this is the best answer without the 'bird in hand' so to speak.

Doug Schonewald
Moses Lake, WA
dschone8 at bentonrea.com


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