Fauna
Bird

Great-tailed Grackle

Quiscalus mexicanus

Also known as Mexican Grackle, Cuervo, Chango

Great-tailed grackles are boisterous, highly intelligent blackbirds renowned for their dramatic courtship displays and vast urban roosts. Males posture on exposed perches with puffed feathers, pointed bills, and widely flared keel-shaped tails while whistling a loud array of mechanical squeaks, pops, and chatter. Exceptionally adaptable, they have rapidly expanded their range north and west by thriving in farmland, city parks, and suburban parking lots.

SocialVocalAdaptive
Great-tailed Grackle reference1 / 7
(c) Anthony Batista, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Anthony Batista · cc-by
—observations
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyInsects, Seeds, Small Lizards
Predators
  • Cooper's Hawk
  • Domestic Cat
  • Rat Snake
ThreatsAgricultural pesticides, intentional roost dispersal programs
HabitatsUrban areas, agricultural fields, marshes, parklands
Life span7–12 years
Classification
  1. OrderPasseriformes
  2. FamilyIcteridae
  3. GenusQuiscalus
  4. SpeciesQuiscalus mexicanus
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Watch Evening Roosts: Look for thousands gathering in brightly lit parking lot trees at dusk.
  • Listen closely: Hear their loud mechanical pops, whistles, and chatter during vocal displays.
  • Observe Foraging: Watch them overturn stones and debris in search of insects and food scraps.
Related species
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