Common grackle (fledgling)

Description:

Adult common grackles measures from 28 to 34 cm (11 to 13 in) in length, span 36–46 cm (14–18 in) across the wings and weigh 74–142 g (2.6–5.0 oz). Common grackles are less sexually dimorphic than larger grackle species but the differences between the sexes can still be noticeable. The male, which averages 122 g (4.3 oz), is larger than the female, at an average of 94 g (3.3 oz). adult has a long dark bill, pale yellowish eyes and a long tail; its feathers appear black with purple, green or blue iridescence on the head, and primarily bronze shine in the body plumage. The adult female, beyond being smaller, is usually less iridescent; her tail in particular is shorter, and unlike the males, does not keel in flight and is brown with no purple or blue gloss. The juvenile is brown with dark brown eyes.

Notes:

I arrived home to find this little guy sitting on the grass next to the driveway. I immediately grabbed my camera and fired off some shots. A quick search led me to the grackle, but that's as far as I could take the ID initially. We have 2 species in the state - the common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) and the boat-tailed grackle (Quiscalus major). My strong guess is the former because in the 5 years that I've lived in this house and have cruised the roads for miles around us, I've never seen the latter. UPDATE 5/11/12: a friend who knows birds FAR better than I do identified this as the common grackle. "It is a common grackle. Great-tailed fledges have a much longer and slightly thinner (less conical) bill and more of a brownish tinge to their body feathers."