# Great-tailed Grackle (*Quiscalus mexicanus*) The Great-tailed Grackle is a shiny black bird with a long tail. They are known for their loud calls and love to gather in big groups, especially in parks and fields. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 70 - **Habitat:** Urban areas - **Also known as:** Mexican Grackle ![Great-tailed Grackle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Grackle_%2851135251724%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Channel City Camera Club /Susan T. Cook, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grackle_%2851135251724%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Great-tailed Grackle is a medium-sized bird. Males are sleek, iridescent black with a blue-purple sheen and a distinctively long, keel-shaped tail. Females are smaller and duller brown, lacking the male's strong iridescence. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Icteridae - **Genus:** Quiscalus ## Interesting facts - A male grackle's tail can be as long as its body! - Grackles gather in huge roosts of thousands at night! - Sometimes, they rub ants on their feathers to deter parasites! - They can open sugar packets and snack bags with their beaks. ## Special abilities - **Clever Vocalist:** Great-tailed Grackle can mimic various sounds and make a wide range of calls, which helps them communicate complex information. - **Tail Rudder:** Great-tailed Grackle has a long, keel-shaped tail that helps them balance and maneuver deftly during flight. - **Problem Solver:** Great-tailed Grackle can learn and adapt quickly to new food sources, helping them thrive in diverse, even urban, environments. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 32-43 cm - **Wingspan:** 45-58 cm - **Weight:** 0.08-0.265 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-13 years - **Speed:** 55 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-5 - **Incubation:** 13-14 days - **Migration Distance:** 500 km ## Diet & Feeding Great-tailed Grackles are opportunistic eaters, feasting on anything from insects and seeds to human scraps. - **Primary Foods:** insects, seeds, fruit, small fish, human scraps - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red-tailed Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-tailed-hawk) (*Buteo jamaicensis*) — A common predator of adult grackles. - **Depends on:** Humans (*Homo sapiens*) — Benefits from human food waste and altered landscapes. - **Eats:** [Corn](https://www.snappit.app/explore/corn) (*Zea mays*) — A significant food source in agricultural areas. ## 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. - [Scavenger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/scavenger): Scavengers consume dead organic matter, helping to decompose carcasses and other waste in the ecosystem. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low It's best to watch these birds from a distance and not feed them directly. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Great-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 Great-tailed Grackle? 32-43 cm ### What is Great-tailed Grackle's wingspan? 45-58 cm ### How much does Great-tailed Grackle weigh? 0.08-0.265 kg ### How long does Great-tailed Grackle live? 10-13 years ### How fast can Great-tailed Grackle move? 55 km/h ### What does Great-tailed Grackle eat? Great-tailed Grackles are opportunistic eaters, feasting on anything from insects and seeds to human scraps. ### Where is Great-tailed Grackle usually found? Urban areas ## Where to spot - [Clayton Public Schools Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/clayton-public-schools-historic-district) — New Mexico, US · Historic District - [Congress Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/congress-avenue-historic-district) — Texas, US · Historic District - [Mesa Grande](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mesa-grande) — Arizona, US · Historic Site - [Old Town Albuquerque](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/old-town-albuquerque) — New Mexico, US · Neighborhood - [Rio Grande Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rio-grande-botanic-garden-new-mexico) — New Mexico, US · Zoo - [San Antonio Missions National Historical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/san-antonio-missions-national-historical-park) — Texas, US · National Park [View all places to see Great-tailed Grackle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/great-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: [Great-tailed Grackle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-tailed-grackle)