If you’ve found this article, you may be trying to identify a bird that you saw based on its coloration. Black birds with blue heads is a commonly searched description, and in this article we will discuss 7 species found in North America to help you narrow it down.
Black Birds with Blue Heads
When it comes to color combinations of North American birds, there aren’t that many that fit the description of a black body and blue head. In fact, there really is only one that is a good match, the Common Grackle. The other birds we have on this list are grackles, blackbirds, martins, starlings and cowbirds that have beautiful, glossy, dark iridescent plumage. These iridescent birds are a mix of midnight greens, blues, and purples. The appearance of these birds can change quite a bit depending on how bright it is outside and how much light is directly shining on them. In certain lighting, their colors may be very obvious, while in direct sun they may all combine to look black.
Let’s jump right into the list with the Common Grackle.
1. Common Grackle
Scientific Name: Quiscalus quiscula
Most of the time when people are talking about a black bird with a blue head, they are referring to a Common Grackle.
The Common Grackle features iridescent feathers, and males are usually glossier and more colorful than the female. In direct sunlight these birds often look black. In the right light however, you can see they have dark bronzy bodies with blue heads and wings in shades of green, blue or purple. The Common Grackle has a yellow eye, long legs, a long tail and slender body. They are common year-round in the eastern half of the U.S., and many head further west and north to breed in the summer.
Common Grackles are noisy and sometimes thought of as obnoxious when they show up in large groups. They hang out with other types of grackles, blackbirds, cowbirds, and starlings, and nest in forests, grasslands, swamps, and marshes. They typically feed off the ground, searching for seeds, grains and insects. But the Common Grackle will also eat seeds, berries, lizards, frogs, and even small birds and rodents.
Grackles are known to visit backyard bird feeders and can become a nuisance, hogging all the food and becoming aggressive with smaller birds.
2. Purple Martin
Scientific name: Progne subis
Male Purple Martins sometimes fall under the description of black birds with blue heads. They have brownish-black wings and tail, but their head, chest and upper back are a deep blue with a purple iridescence. These members of the swallow family are native to North America. In fact, they are the largest