American Crow vs Common Grackle
The check that settles it
Far smaller, iridescent, yellow-eyed, with a long keeled tail.
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
- Size
- 40–50 cm
- Bill
- conical
- Where
- yard, open field, city, woodland
- Voice
- A clean, evenly-pitched 'caw caw caw'.
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
- Size
- 28–34 cm
- Bill
- thin pointed
- Where
- yard, open field, feeder, city
- Voice
- A harsh rising creak, often compared to a rusty gate.
Confirming a american crow
- Fan-shaped tail with a squared or slightly rounded end in flight.
- Steady, even wingbeats — crows flap and rarely soar.
- A smooth throat without shaggy feathers.
- Calls a clear 'caw'.
Confirming a common grackle
- A pale yellow eye — obvious even at distance.
- A long tail held in a V-shaped keel in flight.
- Iridescence that changes from bronze to purple with the angle of the light.
- Walks on lawns in loose flocks.