Male all black with iridescent purple on back and breast. Long fan shaped tail. Male 16 to 17 inches in length. Female is all brown with pale breast, and is smaller. Female 12 to 13 inches in length. Both have yellow eyes.

Farmlands, lake thickets.

Nesting

3-4 pale blue eggs with brown and purple spots/markings. Fledging occurs 20-23 days after hatching. They have a 14 day incubation period. The nest is an open cup made from sticks, grass, and mud, usually built in a tree. These birds nest in loose colonies.

Listen to sounds this bird makes: