Adults have a pointed bill. Adult males have black plumage; the female is dark grey. The male has a bright yellow eye; the female's is dark. They resemble the eastern member of the same genus, the Rusty Blackbird; however, the Brewer's Blackbird has a shorter bill and the male's head is iridescent purple.
Fun Fact The Brewer's Blackbird is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.