The state of Texas is secured by bird protective laws because the environment naturally invited birds of different species to place their safe habitats without any risk.
Natural resources as well as gaps in human settlements leave green pockets for birds to breed, feed and forage according to their desires.
Thus, the black birds in Texas I’m about to discuss in this article are mostly safe from their neighboring humans, although a couple of them fall victim to other chemical related dispositions.
For your convenience, this article stays true to the description of ‘black bird’ you’ve been searching for, and not passing on birds with a mere black patch on the feather.
Also, the listing is divided into broad headers of grackles, blackbirds and orioles so that you can go through their traits side by side to help you differentiate one from the other.
Contents
Grackles of Texas
Much like the rest of North America, Texas is considered the center of a venn diagram to allow three species of grackles to reside all year long out in the open. Let’s grab some knowledge on them!
Common Grackle
Source: @david_blevins
- Scientific Name: Quiscalus quiscula
- Size: 28 to 34 cm (11 to 13 in)
- Locality: North America
- Status: Near Threatened
- Breeding Season: March to July
Around the North American rocky mountain territories, this intelligent species of Common Grackles are mostly observed out in the open. Otherwise, Texan shrubs nearby water bodies are the places they are found in abundance. With 3 subspecies, this bird contains one of the largest numbered individuals across the continent.
The colors on this bird are very unique as opposed to most other black birds in Texas. It has an iridescent-blue head and neck region and brownish-black wing feathers. These harsh singers are actually benefiting from deforestation due to their opportunistic nature. However, they are a huge threat to croplands and near impossible to drive away using harmless measures.
Great-tailed Grackle
Source: @shepart.photo
- Scientific Name: Quiscalus mexicanus
- Size: 38 to 46 cm (15 to 18 in)
- Locality: Tropical lowlands of Central and South America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: April
Great-tailed Grackles are scanvers of Texas who are often found lurking around food vehicles or grocery store-surrounding regions, especially in parts of Austin. Their large, fashionable tails are considered to be a defining figure that set this species apart from other Grackles. Although many mistake them for blackbirds, these two actually comply with separate genus names.
Sharing the similar color tone with the Common Grackle, the great-tailed one has the iridescent tone spreaded all across the feathers. The vocalization is much improved considering it’s a grackle species, sitting in between crows and mockingbirds in terms of sweetness. This species has symbolic connotations across different cultures due to widespread availability.
Boat-tailed Grackle
Source: @sierrasnaturepics
- Scientific Name: Quiscalus major
- Size: 37 to 43 cm (15 to 17 in)
- Locality: United States gulf coasts
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Throughout May
Boat-tailed Grackles are sometimes mixed up with their Great-tailed cousins due to the shared trait of longer tails. However, the species in concern here has a leaner body with a narrower tail as opposed to the other bird. The color accents are similar and sexual dimorphism is located, leaving the female birds with red and brown feather tones.
These birds are mostly found around the coastal regions of Texas, continuing onward with the USA gulf coasts. Florida shares a large population with Texas, most of which either forage in surrounding water bodies or rummage through garbage for food. This omnivorous species feasts with almost everything – from seeds to insects or eggs.
Blackbirds in Texas
Out of all the blackbirds, four species can be observed in the state of Texas. Three of them live in the state all year while the fourth is a winter-time visitor in search of shelter and food.
Red-Winged Blackbird
Source: @_athegreat93
- Scientific Name: Agelaius phoeniceus
- Size: 17 to 18 cm (6.7 to 7.1 in)
- Locality: North and Central America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Early Spring to mid-Summer
When it comes to spiritual symbolisms, only a handful of species can surpass the Red-winged Blackbird due to its unique features of black and red. It’s mostly for the male birds to show the scarlet wing-roots over a black-draped housing, because the female birds generally resemble House Sparrows. Of the 22 subspecies, 4 are yearlong natives to the state of Texas.
This bird has been one of the most studied birds in the USA, due to the large number of residents peaking up to 250 million individuals based on bird census. Despite such a population, this species is prone to poisoning in Texas and Louisiana, with reported cases around 1 million. They are migratory, which is done in large groups but the nestings are formed in loose colonies.
Brewer’s Blackbird
Source: @photographylynne
- Scientific Name: Euphagus cyanocephalus
- Size: 20 to 26 cm (8 to 10.3 in)
- Locality: Central and Western North America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: April to early May
This species in particular is named in honor of revered ornithologist Thomas Mayo Brewer. A fluff ball shaped bird with feather plumages of deep, shiny blue, purple-tinted head and overall black wing feathers looks alluring upon spotting. Parking lots as well as open areas in Texas inhabit a wide portion of this population with seasonal migration across the border to Mexico.
Their nest building is actually an intriguing process. Mostly the places are picked in colonies of around 30 pairs and the planting takes place very high up in tall trees. Females do most of the building work with reeds and twigs as materials. These are formed into a cup-like shape and reinforced with mud so that the house remains sturdy through the toughest of days.
Rusty Blackbird
Source: @danielle_plourde
- Scientific Name: Euphagus carolinus
- Size: 22 to 25 cm (8.5 to 9.8 in)
- Locality: North America
- Status: Apparently Secure
- Breeding Season: Late April to early May
You can probably already make out how this bird looks based on the feather color associated with its name. The rusty tone prevails mostly around the head and neck space, with freckles peeking out from the black feather on both the abdomen and the wings. It’s saddening that this species is witnessing a surge of decline in North America but the reasons are yet to be found out.
The habitat extent for the species has a wider range in Canada than it is in the USA. As one of the less common black birds in Texas, the species show a preference of living near the ponds. Otherwise, their breeding habitats are temperate, moist forests which are very much absent in the state. Thus, a migration to Mexico during breeding season has occurred more than anticipated.
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Source: @photohunter403
- Scientific Name: Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
- Size: 21 to 26 cm (8.3 to 10.2 in)
- Locality: USA and Mexico
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: May and June
At first glance, this bird will make you feel like it accidentally dipped its head in a pile of yellow flour. Even the scientific name is derived from Greek words that translate into ‘yellow-headed bird’ because of the yellow feathers. It’s actually quite different in nature from the other three blackbirds I’ve mentioned previously, and this being the only bird of the genus is the evidence to this claim.
The density of these birds are more spreaded around the western parts of North America. In Texas, South Padre Island hosts the largest community of the state. They form large flocks in winter and migrate toward the south. Males and females usually travel independent of one another and the latter gender picks the breeding zone based on previous year’s experience.
Texan Orioles
Five oriole species have managed to call Texas their home because the locality matches with their description of the ideal habitat. However, not all of them are available in the accessible places because a couple of them prefer to live in harsh environments.
Baltimore Oriole
Source: @mjvardy
- Scientific Name: Icterus galbula
- Size: 17 to 22 cm (6.7 to 8.7 in)
- Locality: Eastern North America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: May to June
The naming story behind the Baltimore Oriole is an interesting one. History dictates that the English Lord Baltimore had his coat-of-arms wearing the similar color as this bird back in the 17th century. From the troopers, this bird was named accordingly and it stuck around – even the baseball team of Baltimore borrowed the name from this bird and uphold it as their mascot!
Although it’s the state bird of Maryland, its presence is quite widespread in the North American continent, especially around the eastern regions. Prairies and deciduous tree infested areas are their zones for habitation in Texas. The identification would remind you of a Yellow Warbler or a Goldfinch – similar color on the belly but the blacks on the back & head are much sharper and visible.
Bullock’s Oriole
Source: @im.miasara
- Scientific Name: Icterus bullockii
- Size: 17 to 19 cm (6.7 to 7.5 in)
- Locality: Western North America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: May to July
Let me tell you from the get go – Bullock’s Oriole looks almost identical to the Baltimore Oriole in terms of feather color and shape. But upon inspection of their DNA and molting data, bird analysis has declared that these two are separate species. However, cross-breeding among these two has been observed out in nature, thus maintaining an original bloodline is getting blurrier day by day.
The bird has been named after William Bullock – an English novelist and amateur naturalist. Their habitation zones mostly comprise deciduous and shrub forests. Migration is a common pattern for the species. The Texan population is mostly concentrated around the central parts of the state, where they weave basket-shaped nests for breeding during the appropriate season.
Orchard Oriole
Source: @barrett_jorgensen
- Scientific Name: Icterus spurius
- Size: 15 to 18 cm (5.9 to 7.1 in)
- Locality: USA, Mexico, parts of Central and northern South America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Late April to early August
Orchard Oriole is the smallest of the orioles found in Texas and subsequent parts of the USA and Mexico. It’s a red-chested bird who shows some yellow shades around the lower abdomen area. Back feathers are black that encompass the head region as well. Semi-open regions like forest clearings or grasslands beside woods are the common places you might spot one of them.
These birds are omnivores and their food habits alter based on seasons and breeding periods. Insects and spiders are the go-to choice in their food chart, as optional fruit-eating and seed-feasting are observed as well. You’ll never see them migrate because they perform such movements during night time. These movements are made during winter, from coastal areas to low inlands.
Scott’s Oriole
Source: @james_s_lees_
- Scientific Name: Icterus parisorum
- Size: 23 cm (9.1 in)
- Locality: Parts of the USA and Mexico
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Late April to mid-July
The naming of Scott’s Oriole is connected with the phases of ethnic cleansing in the USA, with General Winfield Scott’s direct involvement in the procedures. He was neither the first to spot it, nor did he have any prior expertise in birds. It’s an instance that shows how the ‘naming process’ in 17th century USA was hierarchized and present day scholars propose the name ‘Yucca Oriole’ as a fitting replacement.
Although it looks a lot like the Baltimore and Bullock’s Oriole due to the yellow-black color combination, the behaviors are much different than the aforementioned species. Scott’s Oriole has a diverse way of living its life, around rocky mountains and dry deserts that are infested with low-cactus. Thus, Texas stands as one of the most comforting grounds for the species to live in.
Black-vented Oriole
Source: @javier_elultimochihuihui
- Scientific Name: Icterus wagleri
- Size: 20.5 to 23 cm (8 to 9 in)
- Locality: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the United States
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: June to July
Much like most of the orioles mentioned here, this bird too is draped in a yellow and black jacket. If compared with the rest of the species in the oriole family, this one lacks the white spots on the wings. Dry forest areas in Texas as well as tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests in Central America are the natural breeding zones for the species.
Its food habit is much similar to the few other orioles – especially when it comes to spider and insect consumption. Some of the individuals from this species show migratory tendencies during winter, traveling as far up to the Pacific coasts. Their nests are crafted at low to mid altitudes of tall trees, keeping them safe from most predatory attacks.
Other Black Birds in Texas
Apart from the grackles, blackbirds and orioles, four other independent black birds in Texas should be paid some attention to, because they too represent the rest of the birds discussed up to this point.
European Starling (Common Starling)
Source: @frogtastic60123
- Scientific Name: Sturnus vulgaris
- Size: 19 to 23 cm (7.5 to 9.1 in)
- Locality: Originally Eurasia, introduced in North America, Australia & Africa
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: March to July
With Eurasian lands as the origin, Common Starlings have been introduced to North America and they ended up adapting to the climate there. Currently, this species presides over the continent as native birds and even migrate toward the north during summer. The magnificently feathered species is also referred to as European Starling, paying homage to the root.
I regarded the feathers to be gorgeous because of the delicate, unsaturated navy-blued body feathers, violet neck, black wings and orange accents. All through the feathers, freckles can be observed, which remain as a major identification mark. Unlike Common Grackles, Common Starlings find suitable habitat around temperate areas with greeneries for sufficient nesting materials.
Brown-headed Cowbirds
Source: @kryssbarick
- Scientific Name: Molothrus ater
- Size: 16 to 22 cm (6.3 to 8.7 in)
- Locality: Temperate and subtropical North America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: May to June
Of all the cowbirds, Brown-headed Cowbird probably shares the most resemblance with grackles and blackbirds alike. Mostly, the iridescent blue feathers are among the similarities and the major difference lies at the brown toned head. Due to these traits, they’re often seen traveling or setting colonies with grackles, blackbirds, starlings or even bobolinks.
If you’re wondering why it’s called cowbird, let me answer that. Cowbirds are usually seen near cow or horse cattles to pick up insects from their skin. The Texan community is spreaded around forest clearings and even in suburban bird-feeders. They are rarely afraid of humans which gives them courage to search for food objects near human habitats. Otherwise, insects are their natural diet in the wild.
Bobolink
Source: @government_drones
- Scientific Name: Dolichonyx oryzivorus
- Size: 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in)
- Locality: Parts of North & South America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: March to August
The placement of Bobolinks are quite complex to understand, and to grasp the full picture you’ll have to dig into the Old World and New World of blackbirds. As this bird belongs to the latter group, a great chasm is laid between the other blackbird species with this one – from size, shape and extends all the way to the behaviors. They’re mostly shaped like a cylinder, so recognizing them is quite easy in such cases.
Texan birds of this species are mostly guests visiting during migration. They feast with cultivated rice across fields of grain, and thus is seen as a threat to many farmers. Black faced, feathered with white accents and a brown hat, you won’t find any other bird like this in the Americas. There are many references of this bird in literature by the likes of Emily Dickinson or Allan Poe.
Common Raven
Source: @karen5340
- Scientific Name: Corvus corax
- Size: 54 to 67 cm (21 to 26 in)
- Locality: Northern Hemisphere
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: February to May
Common Raven can be widely accepted as one of the most easily found species in every part of the northern hemisphere. A shiny black feathering plumage renders it an ideal candidate for this article and they’re observed almost equally in urban territories as well as the wooden areas in Texas. Despite their reprimanding habit against fellow birds, they’re quite caring about their own families.
All thanks to the internet, you now know that Common Ravens are qualified as a highly intelligent bird of all species. They can solve problems and mazes, and even unlock the door to a cage to set themselves free. Their 11 subspecies are different in nature, ranging from miniscule to sizable ones. Its association with spirituality exists till date.
Thoughts
If you’ve noticed a pattern of the residing black birds in Texas, one thing is bound to lay before your understanding – a lot of them belong to the Icterid family.
This family is basically filled with New World blackbirds who aren’t essentially colored in black only, rather other vibrant tones are available throughout their feathers.
They share some common preferences of habitation and diet, despite the difference in particulars in their characteristics.
That’s a common factor for these species which leads them to inhabit the open spaces of Texas state as well as the suburban territories.
Being a native, you probably know the abundant number of such bird species and I hope you’ll live by your principles to aid them in their times of need, as much as you can!
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Audio Credits: xeno-canto, wikimedia
