Rondeau Ric

At least this name matches the bird in question. Compared to its large size the tail is huge and can make you do a double take. That combined with the penetrating stare can really grab your attention. We saw this one in Texas a few years ago. The males are about twice the size of the rich brown females. Quiscalus mexicanus In winter, enormous flocks of both male and female Great-tailed Grackles gather in “roost trees.” These winter roosts can contain thousands of individuals, with flocks of up to half a million occurring in sugarcane fields in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley. The oldest Great-tailed Grackle (based on banding records) was 7 years 9 months. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Great tailed grackle , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. These birds are absolute monsters compared to the common grackle we get in our area. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes them as "A big, brash blackbird, the male Great-tailed Grackle shimmers in iridescent black and purple, and trails a tail that will make you look twice." We saw these birds at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Laguna is also the place where we first was road runners. Quiscalus mexicanus Although you’ll usually see them feeding on land, Great-tailed Grackles may also wade into the water to grab a frog or fish. In winter, enormous flocks of both male and female Great-tailed Grackles gather in “roost trees.” These winter roosts can contain thousands of individuals, with flocks of up to half a million occurring in sugarcane fields in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley.

If its size doesn't intimidate you the look will. , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. The great-tailed grackle is about 18 inches. It is a very large,purple-glossed blackbird and is much larger than the common grackle. Quiscalus mexicanus