About the Great-tailed Grackle
The great-tailed grackle or Mexican grackle is a medium-sized, highly social passerine bird native to North and South America. A member of the family Icteridae, it is one of 10 extant species of grackle and is closely related to the boat-tailed grackle and the extinct slender-billed grackle. In the southern and southwestern United States, the grackle is sometimes referred to simply as a "blackbird" or (erroneously) a "crow" due to its glossy black plumage; however, grackles form their own unique genus that is separate from other "blackbirds", such as the red-winged and Brewer's blackbirds, despite being in the same family (Icteridae). Superficially, Brewer's blackbird is one of the most…
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ID tip
Great-tailed grackles are medium-sized birds (larger than starlings and smaller than crows; 38–46 cm (15–18 in) with males weighing 203–265 g (7.2–9.3 oz) and females 115–142 g (4.1–5.0 oz), and both sexes have long tails. Wingspan ranging 48–58 cm (19–23 in). Males are iridescent black with a purple-blue sheen on the feathers of the head and upper body, while females are brown with darker wings and tail. Adults of both sexes have bright yellow eyes, while juveniles of both sexes have brown eyes and brown plumage like females (except for streaks on the breast). Voice: Great-tailed grackles have an unusually large repertoire of vocalizations that are used year-round. The sounds range from "sweet, tinkling notes" to a "rusty gate hinge". Males use a wider variety of vocalization types, while females engage mostly in "chatter", however there is a report of a female performing the "territorial song".
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Great-tailed Grackle sounds like
Where the Great-tailed Grackle lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Spain, United Kingdom.
When to see the Great-tailed Grackle
Peak activity in April · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Boat-tailed GrackleQuiscalus majorThe male boat-tailed grackle is 37–43 cm (15–17 in) long and weighs 165–250 g (5.8–8.8 oz).
Carib GrackleQuiscalus lugubrisMale Carib grackles average 26 cm (10 in) long and females about 22 cm (8.7 in).
Greater Antillean GrackleQuiscalus nigerThe Greater Antillean grackle is 25 to 30 cm (9.8 to 12 in) long.
Side by side: Common Grackle vs Great-tailed Grackle · Boat-tailed Grackle vs Great-tailed Grackle · Carib Grackle vs Great-tailed Grackle · Great-tailed Grackle vs Greater Antillean Grackle
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