Great Tailed Grackle: Photos, Identification, Habitat, and Behavior
The Great-tailed Grackle is a striking blackbird known for its glossy feathers, loud calls, and long, dramatic tail. Males shimmer with black, purple, and blue, while females are smaller and brown. You’ll see them strutting around parks, parking lots, and cities across the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America.
People often spot these birds gathering in big, noisy flocks, especially in the evenings. Great-tailed Grackles seem to handle just about any habitat – marshes, golf courses, city streets – and they don’t shy away from people when searching for food. Ever wonder why they thrive near humans or what makes them so unique? Let’s dig in and see what sets this bird apart from other blackbirds.
Great-tailed Grackle Photos by Fawkes Focus
Key Takeaways
- The Great-tailed Grackle is an eye-catching, social bird with a long tail.
- You can spot it by its size, color, and loud behavior.
- It lives in many places and often interacts with people.
Key Identification Features
Great-tailed Grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus) look different depending on whether they’re male or female. They also stand out for their social habits and noisy calls.
Male Great-tailed Grackle Characteristics
Male Great-tailed Grackles are large and slender blackbirds. Their feathers shine with black, purple, and blue in the sunlight. The long, keel-shaped tail – almost as long as the body – is their most eye-catching feature, and they often hold it in a V-shape.
They have a flat head, a straight, strong bill, and pale yellow or white eyes that almost glow. Males are heavier than robins but not as heavy as crows, and their length is pretty close. They stand about 15 to 18 inches tall (38–46 cm) and have a wingspan between 19 and 23 inches.
You’ll see males strutting around with their tails up, trying to show off. If the light’s right, their feathers shimmer, making them easy to spot even from far away. More details about the male’s appearance are on the All About Birds identification page.
Female and Juvenile Differences
Females are smaller and lighter than males. While the males are shiny black, females are mostly brown, with lighter spots on the eyebrow and throat. Their tails are long too, but not quite as showy.
Females have that same flat head but look slimmer. Juveniles look a lot like adult females, just duller and with darker eyes. The size difference is pretty clear – females are about half the weight of males and not as long.
Here’s a quick look:
| Trait | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Iridescent black | Brown/tan |
| Tail | Very long, V-shape | Long, not as wide |
| Eye Color | Pale yellow/white | Pale yellow/white |
| Size | Larger, heavier | About half as large |
Vocalizations and Display Behaviors
Great-tailed Grackles are noisy. Males especially have a wild mix of calls – whistles, clicks, chatters, and even some harsh squeaks. Sometimes they mimic other birds or weird sounds, which just adds to the racket.
During breeding season, males show off to impress the females. They puff up, spread their wings, flare their tails, and let out high-pitched calls. Sometimes a bunch of males will show off at once, and it gets loud.
Flocks gather in trees or open spots, calling to each other or defending their space. These displays and sounds make Great-tailed Grackles easy to pick out from other blackbirds in the icteridae family.
Taxonomy and Related Species
The great-tailed grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus, is a medium-sized blackbird with unique social habits and looks. It’s closely related to other New World blackbirds, and it has several subspecies that fit different regions. There’s also a similar-looking cousin found in the southeastern U.S.
Scientific Classification
The great-tailed grackle belongs to the animal kingdom, phylum Chordata, and class Aves (all birds). It’s part of the order Passeriformes, which is the biggest group of birds. The family is Icteridae – New World blackbirds.
Its genus is Quiscalus, species Quiscalus mexicanus. The binomial name is written as Quiscalus mexicanus. This puts it apart from true blackbirds and crows, which it sometimes gets mistaken for. It shares its family with birds like the red-winged blackbird and Brewer’s blackbird, but it’s got its own look and sound. For more on its scientific breakdown, check Wikipedia’s table.
Similar Species: Boat-tailed Grackle
The great-tailed grackle looks a lot like the boat-tailed grackle (Quiscalus major), and people get them mixed up where their ranges overlap. Both are big, black, and have long tails. The boat-tailed grackle mostly lives along the coast in the southeastern U.S., while the great-tailed grackle covers more of the southern and western U.S., Mexico, and Central America.
Males of both species have shiny black feathers and dramatic tails, but the great-tailed’s tail is more keel-shaped and can fold vertically. Females of both are brownish. Even though they look similar, genetic studies say they’re different. You can find a detailed comparison at All About Birds.
Recognized Subspecies
There are eight recognized subspecies of the great-tailed grackle. These are mostly separated by where they live and a few small differences in size or color. For example:
- Q. m. nelsoni – southwest U.S. and northwest Mexico
- Q. m. graysoni – west Mexico
- Q. m. mexicanus – central Mexico to Nicaragua
- Q. m. peruvianus – Costa Rica to north Peru and Venezuela
The other four fill in other parts of Mexico, the U.S., and Central and South America. Subspecies often blend at the edges of their ranges, but you can usually tell them apart by where they live and small physical traits. More info is at Birds of Nebraska and Wikipedia.
Geographic Range and Distribution
The Great-tailed Grackle lives across a huge chunk of the Americas. Its range covers lots of open habitats and has spread north and south over time.
Primary Habitats in North and Central America
Great-tailed Grackles started out in Central America and parts of Mexico. They do well in both wild and human-made places. You’ll often find them near open water, marshes, wetlands, and along rivers. But they’re just as happy in fields, golf courses, city parks, and lawns.
They’re super adaptable. This bird quickly moves into cities and farms, which has helped it spread. You might see them strutting on wet ground or foraging in trees and bushes. They tend to hang out where there’s open water or wetlands, as Birdful explains.
Expansion into the United States
The Great-tailed Grackle used to be mostly a Central American and Mexican bird. In the early 1900s, it started moving north. Now it’s common in Texas, Arizona, and other southern and southwestern states. The spread of agriculture and cities gave it new places to nest and eat.
Big flocks gather in urban and suburban areas. In Texas, you’ll see loads of them in shopping centers, parks, and near lakes. Their range has grown a lot, and modern maps show them all over the Southwest and southern Great Plains.
Regional Population Trends
Great-tailed Grackles have grown in number in the U.S. over the last century. They now live year-round in new places, especially Texas and Arizona. Their numbers stay steady or go up because there’s plenty of food and places to nest.
Even though they started in Central America, there are now just as many – or maybe more – in some U.S. areas. In southern cities and suburbs, their noisy evening flocks are a familiar sight. This spread shows how well the species adapts, as you can see on eBird’s range maps.
Diet and Feeding Habits
The Great Tailed Grackle eats both plants and animals. What they eat changes with the season and what’s around, which makes them really flexible.
Plant Materials and Fruits
Grackles eat a lot of plants, especially grains and seeds. They like corn, sorghum, oats, and similar stuff. Fruits matter too, especially when they’re easy to get.
During harvest, you’ll see grackles foraging in fields for leftover seeds and crops. They’ll also eat berries and fruit from trees or bushes in parks, gardens, or wild spots.
In cities, Great Tailed Grackles will eat scraps, bread, and whatever food people drop. They’re quick to try new foods, often poking around on sidewalks or in trash for something to eat.
Because they go after crops, farmers sometimes get annoyed with them. Still, most of their plant diet comes from seeds and grains they find outside the main growing season. There’s more about what they eat in this diet overview.
Animal Prey and Nestlings
Great Tailed Grackles are also good hunters. They eat insects like grasshoppers, beetles, spiders, bees, and wasps, especially in spring and summer. Sometimes, animal prey is more than half their diet.
They’ll eat slugs, snails, worms, and even small animals like frogs, tadpoles, lizards, and fish. You might see them hunting in water, fields, or even around houses. They seem to figure out how to hunt almost anywhere.
These birds will also eat eggs and baby birds from other nests. That might sound harsh, but it’s pretty normal for bigger birds. Sometimes, they’ll even eat small mammals like shrews or mice if they get the chance. You can read more about their food habits at Bird Advisors.
Breeding and Nesting Behavior
Great-tailed grackles are known for their social nesting habits and flexible approach to raising their young. Their breeding process involves careful selection of nesting sites and distinct characteristics in their eggs and clutch sizes.
Nest Construction and Site Selection
Great-tailed grackles build their nests in trees, shrubs, and sometimes on things like utility poles. They often nest in groups, so you might spot several pairs close together – sometimes it looks like a little colony, or even a big crowd.
The females handle all the nest building. They grab twigs, grass, and sticks, then line the inside with softer bits like feathers or leaves to make it comfy. The nests look like deep cups and sit high up to keep predators away.
Males get pretty territorial and defend spots with several female nests, but they don’t help with building. These birds usually pick places near water and open spots, which lets them keep an eye out for food or danger. If you’re curious about how these birds nest together, check out this detailed overview of breeding and nesting.
Eggs and Clutch Size
A female great-tailed grackle lays 1 to 5 eggs at a time. The eggs look pale blue or greenish with dark spots. Only the female incubates, sitting on the eggs for about 13 days. The male doesn’t pitch in during this part.
When the chicks hatch, they stay in the nest while the mom brings them food – mostly insects, grains, or whatever she can find. After about 18 to 20 days, the young birds leave the nest, but the mother might still look after them for a bit.
Depending on how things are going, grackles might raise more than one brood each season. Want more on their egg-laying habits? Here’s a review of the species’ nesting behavior.
Conservation Status and Human Interaction
You’ll find the great-tailed grackle all over Texas, Arizona, Mexico, and a good chunk of North America. They seem to do well around people, living in all sorts of places we’ve changed.
IUCN Red List Classification
The great-tailed grackle is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. These birds have a huge and growing population, and in lots of areas, their numbers are still going up. They’ve spread northward by more than 5,500% over the last 120 years, thanks mostly to human-modified environments.
Populations are holding steady or even growing in states like Texas and Arizona. There aren’t any big threats causing problems right now. In fact, more cities and farms actually give these birds more places to live. The great-tailed grackle’s adaptability is probably why it’s still at Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Adaptation to Urban and Agricultural Environments
Great-tailed grackles have figured out how to live in cities, towns, farms, and even near irrigation ditches. They hang out in parks, gardens, parking lots, and fields – pretty much anywhere there’s food and a place to perch. Their menu is all over the place: insects, grains, leftovers, even small animals.
Their move into the U.S., especially places like Texas and Arizona, ties back to changes people made – like new irrigation and more farmland. All that makes it easier for grackles to thrive. It’s not unusual to see large flocks around shopping centers or fields.
In Mexico and the southwestern U.S., great-tailed grackles are now a common sight, even in busy city areas. You’ve got to admit, their knack for surviving in these places is impressive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Great-tailed Grackles are famous for their wild calls, wide range, and the obvious differences between males and females. People often compare them to other blackbirds, and there’s a lot to notice about their behavior.
What distinctive vocalizations do Great-tailed Grackles have?
These grackles make all sorts of loud and odd sounds – whistles, clicks, squeaks – you name it. At dusk, they gather in noisy flocks, filling trees with their varied and raucous voices.
What is the range of the Great-tailed Grackle’s habitat?
You can find these birds from northern South America, through Central America and Mexico, and up into the southern and western U.S. They reach as far north as Iowa, west to California, and east to Louisiana. In short, they’re all over the Midwest and West.
How can one differentiate between a male and female Great-tailed Grackle?
Males are glossy black with a purple shine and sport long tails, often held in a V. Females look totally different – smaller, brown, with a lighter eyebrow and throat. The size gap is pretty big; males are about twice as large. Learn more about what they look like.
What are the differences between a Great-tailed Grackle and a Common Grackle?
Great-tailed Grackles are bigger and have longer tails than Common Grackles. Both males are black, but the Great-tailed’s bill is thicker, and the body is longer. Their tail is almost as long as the rest of them, which makes it pretty easy to tell them apart. More details are available here.
How do Great-tailed Grackles behave differently from Boat-tailed Grackles?
Boat-tailed Grackles mostly stick to coastal saltmarshes, while Great-tailed Grackles use open spots and city parks, sometimes far from the coast. You’ll see Great-tailed Grackles in way more types of places. Compare their behavior.
Is the population of Great-tailed Grackles growing in Texas?
Great-tailed Grackles are showing up more and more in Texas. Over the years, they’ve moved into new spots and now you can spot them in cities, small towns, and even out in the open fields. They’re hard to miss, especially in the evenings when big groups crowd into the trees in neighborhoods and downtowns. Read about their presence in Texas.
