Common Grackle

Quiscalus quisculaOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Blackbirds and Orioles (Icteridae)

Codes: Common Name: COGR Scientific Name: QUIQUI ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179104

Breeding Location:

Seashore, rocky or sandy, Meadows, grassy, Urban

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial

Breeding Population:

Abundant

Egg Color:

Light brown or green with brown and purple marks

Number of Eggs:

4 - 7

Incubation Days:

12 - 14

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Twigs, grass, leaves, rootlets, bits of debris, and feathers.

Migration:

Migratory

General

Common Grackle: Medium-sized blackbird with metallic purple sheen on back, head, neck, and breast. Eyes are bright yellow. Central feathers of long, rounded tail are often lowered to show keeled V-shape. Female is smaller and duller. Juvenile is dark brown with dark eyes.

Range and Habitat

Common Grackle: Resident throughout Florida; breeds throughout North America east of the Rocky Mountains and south of tundra. Inhabits fields, wet meadows, urban areas, shorelines and willow shrublands up to the lower subalpine.

Breeding and Nesting

Common Grackle: Four to seven light brown or green eggs with brown and purple markings are laid in a bulky cup made of twigs, grass, mud, feathers, and occasionally trash. Nest is built in a tree 2 to12 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Common Grackle: Diet includes insects, bird eggs and nestlings, lizards, fish, fruits, and seeds.

Readily Eats

Peanuts, Canary Seed, Sunflower Seed, Nuts, Sunflower

Vocalization

Common Grackle: Call is a quick, loud "swaaaack."

Similar Species

Common Grackle: Male Great-tailed and Boat-tailed grackles are larger and have longer tails.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Common Grackle

Common Grackle: Medium-sized blackbird with metallic purple sheen on back, head, neck, and breast. Eyes are bright yellow. Central feathers of long, rounded tail are often lowered to show keeled V-shape. Swift, strong direct flight with rapid wing beats, holds tail folded in a V shape while flying.

● Song: "swaaaack"

● Foraging & Feeding: Common Grackle: Diet includes insects, bird eggs and nestlings, lizards, fish, fruits, and seeds.

● Breeding & nesting: Common Grackle: Four to seven light brown or green eggs with brown and purple markings are laid in a bulky cup made of twigs, grass, mud, feathers, and occasionally trash. Nest is built in a tree 2 to12 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Common Grackle: Male Great-tailed and Boat-tailed grackles are larger and have longer tails.

Flight Pattern

Strong swift direct flight on rapidly beating wings.

● Range & Habitat: Common Grackle: Resident throughout Florida; breeds throughout North America east of the Rocky Mountains and south of tundra. Inhabits fields, wet meadows, urban areas, shorelines and willow shrublands up to the lower subalpine.

^BreedingMonogamous, Colonial

^PopulationAbundant

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight4.5 Ounces

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Common Grackle

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Readily Eats

Vocalization

Similar Species

Common Grackle

Flight Pattern