Elegance of the Common Grackle

I only rarely see a Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) - mainly, I think, because I'm just not in the right kind of place. To me, they are beautiful birds, but they don't seem to be very popular with many people. Photographed this very obliging one in south west Calgary on May 21st.

"The 32 cm (13 in) long 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 range of this bird expanded west as forests were cleared. In some areas, it is now considered a pest by farmers because of their large numbers and fondness for grain. Despite a currently robust population, a recent study by the National Audubon Society of data from the Christmas Bird Count indicated that populations had declined by 61% to a population of 73 million from historic highs of over 190 million birds." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Grackle

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_grackle/lifehistory