Brewer's Blackbird
Euphagus cyanocephalus
"... the sexes differ in size
and color. The nine-inch male is glossy black with a purplish
iridescence on the head, the reason for the name cyanocephalus,
Greek for 'blue-headed.' Its eyes are a bright, pale yellow.
In contrast, the smaller female is a dingy, sooty gray with dark
brown eyes ... Small flocks
usually contain both males and females, and their dimorphism
in plumage and eye color facilitates identification."
"Brewer's blackbird differs
from the much larger grackles in having a rounder head, a shorter
bill, and a shorter, rounded tail."
Photo taken with a Nikon D80 using
a Nikon 400mm, f/5.6 manual focus, internal focus lens.
January 12, 2007.