During a trip to central Texas in August, 2005, I saw many, many grackles. These birds had tails much longer than the ones we have at home in Maryland. The larger tail is more conspicuous when the bird is in flight. These first birds were seen at the Fort Hood, TX visitor center on August 15th, 2005.

I saw the next bird near the hotel during a trip to El Paso, TX in early September 2006. The long tail is pretty clear here.