Quiscalus quiscula

• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Physical Description

Habitat

In addition to habitat used for breeding, the Common Grackle inhabits crop lands , fields , small stands of pines, and lawns during the winter.

Ecology: List of Habitats : 1.4 Forest - Temperate 5.4 Wetlands (inland) - Bogs , Marshes, Swamps , Fens , Peatlands

Biology

Diet

The diet of this species is quite variable. It includes insects, small vertebrates , bird eggs , nestlings, fruits, seeds, grains, nuts, and acorns . Most food is located by searching the ground and vegetation.

Reproduction

The breeding season begins in late March, peaks in April, and extends into early August. Breeding habitat is primarily conifer groves in residential or rural areas. Nesting is usually in loose colonies, with from 2-100 pairs breeding together. Nests are commonly in evergreen trees from 0.6-3.6 m (2-12 feet) above the ground , but occasionally the Common Grackle will also nest in cavities or on ledges. The cup-shaped nest is constructed from grass , twigs , other plant material , mud , and some paper, string, or other trash. The female lays 2-6 (usually 4-5) eggs that she incubates for 13-14 days. The young are altricial and fledge 16-20 days after hatching . The young are cared for by the adults while they are in the nest and for a few days after fledging.

• Breeding Habitat: Urban
• Nest Location: Mid-story/canopy nesting
• Nest Type: Open-cup
• Clutch Size: 3-6
• Length of Incubation : 13-14 days
• Days to Fledge: 16-20
• Number of Broods: 1, occasionally 2

Migration

Migratory

Behavior

During migration and winter, the Common Grackle flocks in very large groups with many other blackbird species; sometimes more than one million birds may roost together.

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 17-Oct-2001

Similar Species

Great-Tailed Grackle, Boat-Tailed Grackle

Members of the genus Quiscalus

There are approximately 42 species in this genus:

Q. assimilis · Q. guiscula · Q. inflexirostris · Q. lugubris (Carib Grackle) · Q. lugubris contrusus · Q. lugubris fortirostris · Q. lugubris guadeloupensis · Q. lugubris inflexirostris · Q. lugubris lugubris (Carib Grackle) · Q. lugubris luminosus · Q. macrurus · Q. major (Boat-Tailed Crow Blackbird) · Q. major alabamensis · Q. major major (Boat-Tailed Crow Blackbird) · Q. major torreyi · Q. major westoni · Q. mexicanus (Great-Tailed Crow Blackbird) · Q. mexicanus loweryi · Q. mexicanus mexicanus (Great-Tailed Crow Blackbird) · Q. mexicanus monsoni · Q. mexicanus nelsoni · Q. mexicanus obscurus · Q. mexicanus peruvianus · Q. mexicanus prosopidicola · Q. nicaraguensis (Nicaraguan Grackle) · Q. niger (Greater Antillean Grackle) · Q. niger bangsi · Q. niger brachypterus · Q. niger caribaeus · Q. niger caymanensis · Q. niger crassirostris · Q. niger gundlachii · Q. niger niger (Greater Antillean Grackle) · Q. palustris (Slender-Billed Grackle) · Q. quiscala · Q. quiscula (Florida Crow Blackbird) · Q. quiscula aeneus · Q. quiscula areneus · Q. quiscula quiscula (Florida Crow Blackbird) · Q. quiscula stonei · Q. quiscula versicolor · Q. versicolor

More Info

• Search for Pictures: images.google.com
• Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
• Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
• Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

Further Reading

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• A checklist of the vertebrate animals of Kansas / George D. Potts, Joseph T. Collins. [Lawrence, Kan.]: Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, 1991. ENG url p. 18.
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• A list of the birds of New Hampshire. By Glover M. Allen. Manchester, N.H., Nature Study press, 1903. ENG url p. 131, p. 191, p. 217.
• A manual of North American birds. By Robert Ridgway. Illustrated by 464 outline drawings of the generic characters. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott Company, 1887. ENG url p. 595.
• A popular handbook of the birds of the United States and Canada, by Thomas Nuttall. Boston, Little, Brown, 1903. ENG url p. 115.
• Abstract of proceedings of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club of Philadelphia. [Philadelphia]Delaware Valley Ornithological Club. ENG url p. 14, p. 2, p. 42, p. 7.
• Anglo-russkii biologicheskii slovar' / [avtory, I. N. Afanas'eva.. . et al.; spetsial'nye nauch. redaktory, O. I. Chibisova i L. A. Koziar]. Moskva: Russkii iazyk, 1979. ENG url p. 275.
• Annals of the Carnegie Museum. [Pittsburgh]: Published by authority of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Institute, 1901- ENG url p. 277.
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• BirdLife International. 2004 Threatened Birds of the World 2004. CD-ROM. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K.
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Notes

Contributors

• BirdLife International 2004. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 18, 2008.
• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 and ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed August 09, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
• Hines, J. E., Gregory Gough, J. R. Sauer, et al. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
• NatureServe. 2003. Downloadable animal data sets. NatureServe Central Databases. Accessed February 6, 2005.
• Peterson, Alan P. Zoological Nomenclature Resource. Accessed June 19, 2009.
• Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, and J. Fallon. 2005. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2004. Version 2005.2. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
• Sauer, J. R., S. Schwartz, and B. Hoover. 1996. The Christmas Bird Count Home Page. Version 95.1. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
• The Georgia Museum of Natural History and Georgia Department of Natural Resources

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 08, 2008:

• Avian Knowledge Network: eBird
• Avian Knowledge Network: Great Backyard Bird Count
• Avian Knowledge Network: Project FeederWatch
• Bird Studies Canada: Marsh Monitoring Program - Birds
• Bird Studies Canada: Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 1981-1985
• Bird Studies Canada: Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 2001-2005
• Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: North West Territories and Nunavut Bird Checklist, Canada
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. Birds (Aves)
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Royal British Columbia Museum
• Canadian Museum of Nature: Canadian Museum of Nature Bird Collection
• Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates: Bird Collection
• EMAN Provider: PIROP (Shipboard Surveys)
• Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University: MCZ Ornithology Collection
• New Brunswick Museum: NBM birds
• The New York Botanical Garden: Bronx River Bioblitz
• University of Colorado Museum: Zoological specimens
• University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ): Bird specimens

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3850999
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-179107
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 14571264
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 179104
• IUCN ID: 54166
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: ABPBXB6070
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 238

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