Quiscalus quiscula
The Common Grackle, *Quiscalus quiscula*, is a large, iridescent blackbird distinguished by its glossy, oil-slick plumage that shimmers with purple, green, and blue hues depending on the light. Males typically measure around 12-13 inches (30-33 cm) in length with a wingspan of 17-18 inches (43-46 cm) and weigh about 3.5-5 oz (100-140 g), while females are slightly smaller. Key identification features include a long, keel-shaped tail, a stout, sharply pointed bill, and piercing yellow eyes tha...
Common Grackles thrive in open woodlands, agricultural fields, suburban parks, and urban areas, often near water sources. They are typically found in low to moderate elevations across their range, avoiding dense, undisturbed forests.
Their omnivorous diet includes a wide array of insects, spiders, small vertebrates, eggs, nestlings, seeds, and fruits; they primarily forage by walking on the ground or gleaning from vegetation.
Common Grackles are highly social birds, especially outside the breeding season, forming massive roosts that can number in the tens of thousands, often mixed with other blackbirds and starlings. They are opportunistic foragers, walking deliberately on the ground to pick up insects, snatching prey...
The Common Grackle occupies a vast range across eastern and central North America. Its breeding distribution extends from southeastern Canada, including southern Quebec, Ontario, and the Maritime Provinces, south through the Great Plains to northern Texas, and eastward across the entire eastern U...
Least Concern
- The Common Grackle can "ant" itself, rubbing ants on its feathers. The formic acid from the ants may act as an insecticide or fungicide, or simply be pleasurable. - They are known to steal food from other birds, including robins and even smaller blackbirds, showcasing their opportunistic nature...