1. First Glance – What Grabs You?

Take in the whole image.
Let your eyes wander.

What feels important?
What draws your attention?
What might be waiting to be seen?

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2. Look Closer – What Might You Have Missed?

Now, start questioning the scene.

• Size – Does something feel larger, smaller, or out of place?
• Shape – Does anything in the structure of this place break the pattern?
• Position – Is there a point where your gaze rests naturally—or where it resists going?
• Context – What kind of environment is this? Does it invite stillness, movement, or flight?

Let these questions guide you.
Have you seen everything, or is something still hiding in plain sight?

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3. The Reveal – What Are We Seeing?

Now, let’s clear the fog.

Look at the second image:

• There it is—a bird perched above it all.

But what kind of bird?

This is where your final test begins:

• The tail is long, extending well beyond the body.
• The body is slender, with a posture that often arches forward.

The Answer: Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus).

How Do We Know?

• Tail-to-body ratio: The tail is nearly the length of the body—a hallmark of the grackle.
• Perch Behavior: Grackles favor high, visible spots, especially in urban areas.
• Urban Familiarity: This is their domain—cedars, rooftops, fountains—they watch, they call, they own these perches.

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Bird	Body Length (cm)	Tail Length (cm)	Body-to-Tail Ratio (Body ÷ Tail)	Tail Impression in the Field

Final Question – What Do You See Now?

Return to the first image.
Does the cedar feel different?
Does it still stand alone, or is it a living post—claimed by a watcher?

And next time you see a silhouette against the sky—
will you know to check the tail?

Because sometimes, the tail tells the whole story.

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