Great-tailed Grackles 2018

It’s May 5 2018 and the great tailed grackles have returned to Topeka for the breeding season. They are not common in the county and the only reliable place I know to find them is along highway 24 west of highway 75 in an industrial area with ponds, trees, and turf grass – their preferred habitat. The great-tailed grackle has been increasing its range as it benefits from agriculture and urban areas. The male is an iridescent purple and black with a large tail. The female is much smaller than the males and are drab brown with a pale underside. Males and females have yellow eyes.