Birds of the Botanic Gardens

Carib Grackle: Quiscalus lugubris; Local name: Vincent Choupit, Choupit, Blackbird;
Family: Emberizidae (Sub-family: Blackbirds and Allies)

Description: 24-28 cm long (9.5-11 in), with yellow eyes and bill of medium length; usually fluffs its feathers when calling; male - jet black with violet iridescence; legs black; long V-shaped tail; female - dark brown above with buffy brown underparts; tail shorter and less V-shaped than male; legs dark grey; Carib Grackle is a very bold bird that will fly onto hotel dining room tables; is mild scavenger visiting garbage containers for discarded human food such as bread, beans, french fries and meat; also feeds on fruits, seeds, insects, frogs, lizards and snails; seen variously throughout Gardens; click  here  to listen to its call (compliments of  3-Rivers Eco-Lodge).

References:
Arlington James, Stephen Durand and Bertrand Jno.Baptiste. Dominica’s Birds. Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Dominica, 2005
Carib Grackle. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, (en.wikipedia.org), 2006
Brian Ramsey. Dealing with Aggressive Blackbirds, in "Discovering the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago," (a CD), Trinidad, West Indies, last update 2006 (birdsoftt.com)