222. 3. Quiscalus ferrugineus, Lath. Rusty Crow-Blackbird.--Rusty Grakle.
Tail of moderate length, slightly rounded. Male with the plumage glossy black, with green and bluish reflections, the feathers, when new, slightly margined with reddish. Female with the plumage somewhat duller, a reddish band over, and another under, the eye. Young with the head and neck light brown, the rest of the upper parts brownish-black, the feathers edged with light reddish-brown, the rump tinged with grey; a band over the eye, and the fore part and sides of the neck and body pale yellowish-brown; abdomen dusky, lower tail-coverts dusky brown.
From Texas to Maryland, and along the Mississippi and Ohio to Kentucky, during winter. Migrates northward to the Fur Countries, and to the Columbia River, in summer. Common.
Rusty Grakle, Gracula ferruginea, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. iii. p. 41.
Quiscalus ferrugineus, Bonap. Syn. p. 55.
Scolecophagus ferrugineus, Rusty Maggot-eater, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 286.
Rusty Blackbird, Quiscalus ferrugineus, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 199.
Rusty Grakle, Quiscalus ferrugineus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 325; v. v. p. 483.
Bill nearly as long as the head, moderately stout, or rather slender, nearly straight, compressed toward the end; upper mandible with its outline straight, slightly convex toward the tip, the ridge somewhat flattened, the sides sloping and convex, the edges sharp and overlapping, with a very slight or obsolete notch, close to the depressed tip; lower mandible with the angle long and rather acute, the crura rather broad and flat at the base, the dorsal line straight, the edges sharp, the tip slender; gape-line ascending gently at the base, then direct. Head ovate or oblong, flattened above; neck of moderate length; body rather full. Feet moderately stout; tarsus rather short, compressed, with seven anterior scutella; toes moderate, or rather long, the first stouter, the lateral toes equal, the outer adherent at the base. Claws rather long, moderately arched, compressed, acute. Plumage rather compact. Wings of moderate length, with the first quill very small, the third and fourth longest. Tail short or of moderate length, rounded, and generally emarginate. Roof of upper mandible with a median ridge; tongue slender, thin-edged, with the tip slit and lacerated; oesophagus without dilatation; stomach roundish, its muscular coat rather thin, the epithelium dense, and longitudinally rugous; intestine of moderate length and width; coeca very small, cylindrical; cloaca ovate or oblong. Trachea simple, with four pairs of inferior laryngeal muscles. Nest on the ground, or in cavities; eggs about five.