Common Grackle

(Quiscalus quiscula)

Conservation Status
Common Grackle
Photo by Bill Reynolds
  IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

 
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNRB, SNRN - Unranked Breeding and Nonbreeding

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

 

 
     
 

Size

 
 

11 to 13½ in length

17 wingspan

 
     
 

Voice

 
   
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Wetlands, fields, wet meadows, riparian woodlands, coniferous forest and woodland edges, urban parks

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Migration

 
 

 

 
     
 

Nesting

 
 

 

 
     
 

Food

 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Occurrence

 
 

Abundant migrant and breeder

 
         
 

Maps

 
 

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Class Aves (birds)  
 

Order

Passeriformes (perching birds)  
 

Family

Icteridae (New World blackbirds and orioles)  
 

Genus

Quiscalus (grackles)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

Bronzed Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula versicolor)

Florida Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula quiscula)

Purple Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula stonei)

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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Margot Avey

 
    Common Grackle      
 

Ramona Abrego

 
    Common Grackle      
 

Bill Reynolds

 
    Common Grackle      
 

Tom Baker

 
    Common Grackle      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
    Common Grackle   Common Grackle  

 

Camera

 

     
 
Slideshows
 
Common Grackle
Allen Chartier
  Common Grackle  
Common Grackle
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren
  Common Grackle  
Common Grackles
jt893x
  Common Grackles  

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
  Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula Juvenilles
Aflightoffeathers
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Aug 29, 2010

No description available.

   
  birds usa... common crackle
groenelantaarn
 
   
 
About

Published on Aug 11, 2012

Quiscalus quiscula

Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge, Seymour, Indiana, USA 07-08-2012

   
  Common Grackle Nestling (Icteridae:Quiscalus quiscula) in Nest
Carl Barrentine
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Jun 28, 2011

It's first long look at a human, I think. ;-) Photographed at Fisher, Minnesota (28 June 2011).

   
  Noisy Grackle
soobee620
 
   
 
About

Published on Nov 21, 2012

A male common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) displaying and making alarm calls. He did this for several minutes, as you can see here.

   
  Common Grackle - Feeding in The Wild
andrewjfilms
 
   
 
About

Published on Apr 4, 2013

Common Grackles are blackbirds that look like they've been slightly stretched or even like a shrunken crow. They have a more tapered bill and glossy bodies that resemble an "oil spill" in the sunlight. Grackles walk around lawns on their long legs. They gather in high in trees, mainly evergreens, and make a lot of noise. They do not have the most pleasant sound, so they get a bad rap. They do eat crops (corn) and of course they eat bird seed. I have even heard they eat garbage. In fact, Grackles are the number one threat to corn crop. Farmers sometimes spray the corn with a foul tasting chemical (yum!). Check out their yellow eyes. They are quite a bird.

Grackles are underrated.

(you may notice some sparrows, pigeons and red wing blackbirds in the vid)

   

 

Camcorder

 

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