- Quiscalus mexicanus
Identification
A large (40cm) totally black bird (M) with a long, sharp bill and an impressively long tail that is held vertically in flight, like a boat rudder. The yellow eye is diagnostic. The plumage of the male shows many colors in sunlight due to iridescence; blues and greens predominate. The female is brown with lighter underparts, and with a shorter tail.
Similar Species
On Gulf Coast, can be distinguished from Boat-tailed Grackle by eye color.
Distribution
In the United States found from southern California east to Iowa south to Louisiana. Also found throughout Mexico and Central America south to Peru.
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
Polytypic. Consists of eight subspecies:
- Q. m. nelsoni:
- South-eastern California to southern Arizona and western Mexico (north-eastern Baja and southern Sonora)
- Q. m. monsoni:
- Q. m. prosopidicola:
- South-eastern New Mexico to southern Texas, Coahuila, San Luis Potosí and southern Tamaulipas
- Q. m. graysoni:
- Coastal north-western Mexico (Sinaloa)
- Q. m. obscurus:
- Coastal south-western Mexico (Nayarit to Guerrero)
- Q. m. mexicanus:
- Q. m. loweryi:
- Coastal Yucatán Peninsula, Belize and adjacent offshore islands
- Q. m. peruvianus:
- Pacific coast of Costa Rica to north-western Peru and north-western Venezuela
Habitat
They can be found in a wide variety of habitats; marshes, wetlands, hill bushy areas, golf courses, gardens, and shopping malls.
Behaviour
Great-tailed grackles frequent urban landscapes, often feeding in highly-developed areas such as parking lots. They are social, particularly at dusk when they gather in sizable flocks to roost in trees. They can be noisy, especially during breeding displays, when the male issues loud calls at what looks to be great physical effort.
In hot areas they will drink from any water available including swimming pools, and they may even take a voluntary swim!
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- BF Member Observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Great-tailed Grackle. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 21 December 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Great-tailed_Grackle
