How can i identify the type of a black bird in central maryland metro washington dc area?
I live in the DC metro area myself. If it is not too big (6-8 inches high) and kind of has a green sheen to it’s head – it’s a grackle. If they kind of look like small crows about a foot high- they are fishing crows (and just give a single funny sounding “caw” when they fly). If they’re pretty big (over 1 foot high) most likely they’re American crows. Not aware of any other plain black birds in our area. Red-winged blackbirds will have a reddish-orange spot on their wings near their body and usually hang out near swamps or standing water with cattails.
