Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)

The Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) is a large, noisy blackbird that is often seen in large groups, both when foraging and when gathering to roost overnight. These grackles are are found in a wide range of semi-open and open habitats . They are resident from the southwestern and south-central United States and northern Baja California (present during the breeding season somewhat farther north) south to northern South America. This species has expanded its range northward in recent decades. Great-tailed Grackles forage mainly on the ground, feeding on a range of small arthropods, vertebrates, and other animals, as well as seeds, waste grain, and fruits. Great-tailed Grackles nest in colonies that may include anywhere from a few pairs to hundreds of pairs. Historically, this species and the Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major) were considered to be conspecific (i.e., members of the same species), but they were later found to co-exist without interbreeding from southwestern Louisiana to southeastern Texas (U.S.A.). (Kaufman 1996; AOU 1998)