Great-tailed Grackle, Falcon State Park, Roma, TX, April 18, 2021 Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 400 mm; ISO-1250; f/10; 1/800 sec.
This page is for the Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus ). This species is common in Texas, especially South Texas. The March 25, 2014 photo is my first photographic evidence of this bird. The best photograph I have taken of the Great-tailed Grackle to date (above) was from April 18, 2021 at Falcon State Park, Roma, TX. These birds have a highly unusual call that as a co-worker put it “sounds like they are speaking an alien language.”
The following photographs are the best representative images from different dates and locations than my species representative example.
Great-tailed Grackle, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Austwell, TX, March 25, 2021 Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon 18-135 mm lens; 135 mm; ISO-100; f/5.6; 1/250 sec.
Great-tailed Grackle, Clear Fork of the Trinity River and Hulen St., Fort Worth, TX, December 4, 2021 Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 24-70 mm lens; 70 mm; ISO-100; f/4.5; 1/6400 sec.
Great-tailed Grackle, Clear Fork of the Trinity River and University Drive, Fort Worth, TX, December 4, 2021 Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 24-70 mm lens; 70 mm; ISO-100; f/3.5; 1/1600 sec.
Great-tailed Grackle, Camp Joy Park, Fort Worth, TX, December 11, 2021 Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-2000; f/6.3; 1/2500 sec.
Great-tailed Grackle, Clear Fork Trinity River and Bellaire, Fort Worth, TX, April 3, 2022 Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens; 500 mm; ISO-320; f/22; 1/250 sec.
Great-tailed Grackle, Calaveras Lake, San Antonio, TX, May 11, 2023 Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-400; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Great-tailed Grackle, Victor Braunig Lake, San Antonio, TX May 11, 2023 Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-1600; f/10; 1/500 sec.
Great-tailed Grackle, San Joaquin Marsh, Irvine, CA, June 19, 2023 Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-800; f/11; 1/800 sec.
Great-tailed Grackle, Vista West, Fort Worth, TX, January 15, 2024 Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-640; f/11; 1/500 sec.
Great-tailed Grackle, Oak Point Park, Plano, TX, January 21, 2024 Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-250; f/11; 1/800 sec.
Great-tailed Grackle, Mustang Island, Port Aransas, TX, February 22, 2024 Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens; 700 mm; ISO-1000; f/11; 1/1000 sec. +1 Exposure Bias
Great-tailed Grackle, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Austwell,, TX, February 24, 2024 Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens; 700 mm; ISO-1000; f/11; 1/1600 sec. -0.7 exposure bias
Great-tailed Grackle, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Austwell, TX, February 24, 2024 Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens; 700 mm; ISO-1000; f/10; 1/2000 sec.