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Range (Florida north along) (II)

Florida; north along the Atlantic coast to Virginia; west along the Gulf coast to Texas.

Nest, bulky and compact, of grasses, seaweed, etc., with a median layer of mud or partially decayed vegetation, in colonies in bushes. Eggs, three to five, pale bluish white, frequently tinged with vinaceous-brown, singularly spotted, blotched, and scrawled with purplish or blackish, 1.32 × 90. Boat-tail Grackles are rarely if ever found far from water. Shallow lakes or marshy lagoons grown with aquatic plants are their favorite resorts. Here they may be seen in small groups, which usually contain more males than females, walking or jumping from plant to plant, sometimes springing into the air to catch a passing insect, or wading along the shore in search of food.

Their usual notes are hoarse, rather forced whistles; more rarely they utter a singular rolling call, which bears a close resemblance to the sound produced by a Coot in pattering over the water.