A pioneering country-rock band that originated in Canada in 1969.

Ian and Sylvia (Tyson) were a well-known folk duo who rose to popularity in the early 1960s and began making records in Nashville around 1968. They wanted their own band to play in a progressive country style and formed Great Speckled Bird, a group that was part of the country-rock movement that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Original members of the band were Amos Garrett (guitar), Bill Keith (steel guitar), Ken Kalmusky (bass) and Ricky Marcus (drums). Ian and Sylvia were the lead vocalists, with Ian playing guitar and Sylvia sometimes playing piano.

Although the intention was for the band to have its own existence, Ian and Sylvia were so well-known as a duo that it seemed to be impossible to merge their identity into a country-rock band, which is usually referred to as Ian and Sylvia and the Great Speckled Bird or just as Ian and Sylvia.

In 1969, Keith was replaced on steel guitar by Buddy Cage and Ricky Marcus was replaced on drums by N.D. Smart. They recorded their first album, Great Speckled Bird, in Nashville that year.

In January 1970, Kalmusky was replaced on bass by Jim Colegrove. This band toured the US and Canada, playing concerts, clubs that included the Troubador in LA and The Village Gate in New York and various rock festivals. They also performed on the legendary Festival Express tour across Canada that summer.

In the fall of 1970, Jeff Gutcheon joined Great Speckled Bird to play piano. Garrett was replaced by Toronto guitarist, David Wilcox. The next member to leave was Cage, who left to perform and record with Hog Heaven and the New Riders of the Purple Sage and was replaced on steel by Ben Keith.

In 1972 they recorded an album for Columbia titled You Were On My Mind.

Great Speckled Bird returned to touring in 1972 but the lineup changed. Smart was replaced on drums by former Mothers of Invention drummer, Billy Mundi, David Wilcox was replaced by Red Shea, a former guitarist with Gordon Lightfoot, Jeff Gutcheon was replaced on piano by Gordon Fleming and Ben Keith was replaced by Nashville session player, Jim Baker. Baker was soon replaced by Pee Wee Charles on steel.

Colegrove left the band in 1974 and was replaced by Roly Salley on bass.

Ian kept the band going until 1976 when Great Speckled Bird was disbanded, leaving only two issued records.