# Boat-tailed Grackle (*Quiscalus major*) The Boat-tailed Grackle is a shiny black bird with a long, beautiful tail that looks like a boat's tail! They are often seen in groups and love to make loud, cheerful sounds. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 31 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Boat-tailed Grackle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Quiscalus_major_-Three_Lakes_Wildlife_Management_Area%252C_Florida%252C_USA_-female-8.jpg&width=800) Photo: Connie Denyes, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quiscalus_major_-Three_Lakes_Wildlife_Management_Area%252C_Florida%252C_USA_-female-8.jpg) ## Appearance The Boat-tailed Grackle is a large, glossy black bird with an iridescent purple-blue sheen, featuring a long, distinctive keeled tail in males. Females are smaller and duller, typically brown, differing significantly from the males in coloration. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Icteridae - **Genus:** Quiscalus ## Interesting facts - Depending on where they live, their bright yellow eyes can even be dark brown! - Males are HUGE compared to females, often twice as heavy and much longer! - These clever birds sometimes steal food right from the mouths of other birds! - They nest in big noisy groups called colonies, sometimes with hundreds of birds flocking together! ## Special abilities - **Vocal Variety Show:** Boat-tailed Grackle can make many different sounds, including whistles and rasps, which helps them communicate and establish territories. - **Tail-Rudder Navigator:** Boat-tailed Grackle has a long, stiff tail that acts like a rudder, helping them steer precisely during flight over wetlands. - **Feathered Forager:** Boat-tailed Grackle can eat almost anything, from tiny insects to small fish, because of their incredibly adaptable diet. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 28-43 cm - **Wingspan:** 40-50 cm - **Weight:** 0.09-0.25 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-14 years - **Speed:** 45 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-5 - **Incubation:** 12-15 days ## Diet & Feeding Boat-tailed Grackles are versatile eaters, enjoying bugs, fish, seeds, and even human snacks! - **Primary Foods:** insects, crustaceans, small fish, seeds, berries, human scraps - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red-tailed Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-tailed-hawk) (*Buteo jamaicensis*) — Young and adult grackles can be prey for these large raptors. - **Eats:** Red Swamp Crayfish (*Procambarus clarkii*) — Grackles forage for these crustaceans in shallow wetland waters. - **Eats:** [Mummichog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mummichog) (*Fundulus heteroclitus*) — They catch small fish like mummichogs in coastal marsh creeks. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance, and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Boat-tailed Grackle? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Boat-tailed Grackle? 28-43 cm ### What is Boat-tailed Grackle's wingspan? 40-50 cm ### How much does Boat-tailed Grackle weigh? 0.09-0.25 kg ### How long does Boat-tailed Grackle live? 5-14 years ### How fast can Boat-tailed Grackle move? 45 km/h ### What does Boat-tailed Grackle eat? Boat-tailed Grackles are versatile eaters, enjoying bugs, fish, seeds, and even human snacks! ### Where is Boat-tailed Grackle usually found? Coastal areas ## Where to spot - [Brunswick Old Town Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brunswick-old-town-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Charleston Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/charleston-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Fort Monroe National Monument](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-monroe-national-monument) — Virginia, US · National Park - [French Quarter](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/french-quarter) — US · Neighborhood - [Heathcote Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/heathcote-botanical-gardens) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [Secessionville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/secessionville-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District [View all places to see Boat-tailed Grackle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/boat-tailed-grackle) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Boat-tailed Grackle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/boat-tailed-grackle)