Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Common Grackle

Quiscalus quiscula

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Grackle

G5Secure Found in 46 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Near threatenedIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105697
Element CodeABPBXB6070
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNNear threatened
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyIcteridae
GenusQuiscalus
Other Common Names
common grackle (EN) Quiscale bronzé (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Composed of two groups, formerly considered as separate species: quiscula (Purple Grackle) and versicolor (Bronzed Grackle) (AOU 1998). In a phylogeny of quiscaline icterids based on morphological characteristics, Bjorklund (1991) treated versicolor and quiscula as separate species. In a study of mtDNA variation, Zink et al. (1991) regarded versicolor and quiscula as conspecific. See Zink et al. (1991) for a discussion of the probable mode of evolution of the purple and bronzed phenotypes of Q. quiscula (the seemingly high rate of gene flow may be an artifact of recent isolation of a group of grackles in which the bronzed phenotype evolved rapidly, and rapid and extensive range expansion, including the formation of the "hybrid" zone between the two phenotypes).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-09
Change Date1996-12-04
Range Extent Comments
BREEDS: northeastern British Columbia and southern Mackenzie to Newfoundland, south to southern Texas, Gulf Coast, and southern Florida, west to Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. WINTERS: Kansas, southern Great Lakes region, New England and Nova Scotia south to southeastern New Mexico, south Texas, Gulf Coast, Florida.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

BREEDING: Partly open situations with scattered trees, open woodland, forest edge, marsh edges, islands, swamp thickets, coniferous groves, cities, suburbs, farms.

Nests in deciduous or coniferous trees up to 18 m above ground, also shrubs, roadside plantings, swamp vegetation, natural cavities, marshes. NON-BREEDING: In migration and winter also in open situations, cultivated lands, fields.

Ecology

Roosts communally in large flocks (sometimes >100,000 individuals), in summer and fall in northeastern U.S.; often with starlings (Caccamise et al. 1983). Mean dispersal distance 21 kilometers for males, 15 kilometers for females (Moore and Dolbeer 1989).

Reproduction

Clutch size 4-7 (commonly 5-6). Sometimes 2 broods per year. Incubation 12-14 days, by female. Young tended by both sexes, leave nest at 10-17 days, remain in nest vicinity 2-3 days. Nests usually in loose colonies.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedGrassland/herbaceousOld fieldCropland/hedgerowSuburban/orchard
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDSCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
Northwest TerritoriesS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS5BYes
SaskatchewanS5BYes
Island of NewfoundlandS4B,S3N,SUMYes
ManitobaS5BYes
LabradorS1B,SUMYes
British ColumbiaS4BYes
New BrunswickS5BYes
QuebecS5BYes
Prince Edward IslandS5BYes
AlbertaS5BYes
OntarioS5Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
KansasS5B,S4NYes
IndianaS4Yes
New HampshireS5BYes
North CarolinaS5B,S5NYes
ColoradoS5B,S4NYes
MassachusettsS5Yes
ConnecticutS5BYes
OhioS5Yes
North DakotaSNRBYes
WashingtonSNAYes
LouisianaS4Yes
MarylandS5Yes
South CarolinaS4Yes
District of ColumbiaS4N,S5BYes
VermontS5BYes
GeorgiaS5Yes
Navajo NationSNAYes
TexasS5BYes
MississippiS5B,S5NYes
TennesseeS5Yes
NebraskaS5Yes
New YorkS5BYes
MaineS4N,S5BYes
PennsylvaniaS5BYes
VirginiaS5Yes
WyomingS5B,S5NYes
IllinoisS5Yes
AlabamaS5Yes
FloridaS4Yes
West VirginiaS3N,S5BYes
Rhode IslandS5BYes
IdahoS5BYes
New MexicoS5B,S5NYes
WisconsinS5BYes
MissouriSNRYes
MontanaS5BYes
OklahomaSNRYes
KentuckyS5B,S4NYes
ArkansasS5Yes
IowaS5B,S5NYes
MinnesotaSNRB,SNRNYes
DelawareS5Yes
South DakotaS5BYes
UtahS3BYes
MichiganS5Yes
New JerseyS5B,S5NYes
Roadless Areas (46)
California (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mt. JacksonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest20,721
Colorado (2)
AreaForestAcres
Dome PeakRoutt NF35,716
Long ParkRoutt NF42,100
Georgia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Kelly RidgeChattahoochee National Forest8,325
Idaho (3)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
PalisadesCaribou-Targhee National Forest122,002
SeceshPayette National Forest248,088
Illinois (1)
AreaForestAcres
Ripple HollowShawnee National Forest3,788
Minnesota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Wood LakeSuperior National Forest596
Montana (4)
AreaForestAcres
BridgerGallatin National Forest45,059
Mt. Gmt Area HCuster National Forest1,335
North AbsarokaGallatin National Forest159,075
North AbsarokaCuster National Forest21,063
New Hampshire (2)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
Cherry MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,766
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
North Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Long X DivideDakota Prairie Grasslands10,099
South Dakota (3)
AreaForestAcres
Cheyenne RiverBuffalo Gap National Grassland7,572
Indian CreekBuffalo Gap National Grassland24,666
Red ShirtBuffalo Gap National Grassland17,007
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Utah (1)
AreaForestAcres
Clarkston Mtn.Caribou National Forest7,099
Virginia (9)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
New London Bridge BranchJefferson National Forest844
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
West Virginia (5)
AreaForestAcres
Canaan LoopMonongahela National Forest7,867
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Marlin MountainMonongahela National Forest9,344
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
Wyoming (10)
AreaForestAcres
0401036Ashley National Forest6,309
Grayback RidgeBridger-Teton National Forest295,113
Gros Ventre MountainsBridger-Teton National Forest106,418
Middle ForkMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest13,238
Middle ForkShoshone National Forest51,772
Munger MountainBridger-Teton National Forest12,827
PalisadesTarghee National Forest1,121
Salt River RangeBridger-Teton National Forest235,661
West Slope WindsBridger-Teton National Forest143,252
Wilderness Study AreaTarghee National Forest51,961
References (22)
  1. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
  3. Balda, R. P., and G. C. Bateman. 1971. Flocking and annual cycle of the piñon jay, <i>Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus</i>. Condor 73:287-302.
  4. Bent, A.C. 1958. Life histories of North American blackbirds, orioles, tanagers, and their allies. U.S. National Museum Bulletin 211. Washington, DC.
  5. Bjorklund, M. 1991. Evolution, phylogeny, sexual dimorphism and mating system in the grackles (QUISCALUS spp.: Icterinae). Evolution 45:608-621.
  6. Caccamise, D. F., L. A. Lyon, and J. Fischl. 1983. Seasonal patterns in roosting flocks of starlings and common grackles. Condor 85:474-481.
  7. Cummings, J. L., J. L. Guarino, and C. E. Knittle. 1989. Chronology of blackbird damage to sunflowers. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 17:50-52.
  8. Droege, S., and J.R. Sauer. 1990. North American Breeding Bird Survey, annual summary, 1989. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Report 90(8). 22 pp.
  9. Glahn, J. F., et al. 1991. Impact of roost control on local urban and agricultural blackbird problems. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 19:511-522.
  10. Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
  11. Harrison, H. H. 1979. A field guide to western birds' nests. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 279 pp.
  12. Horn, H. S. 1968. The adaptive significance of colonial nesting in the Brewer's Blackbird. Ecology 49:682-694.
  13. Ligon, J. D. 1971. Late summer-autumnal breeding of the piñon jay in New Mexico. Condor 73:147-153.
  14. Moore, W. S., and R. A. Dolbeer. 1989. The use of banding recovery data to estimate dispersal rates and gene flow in avian species: case studies in the Red-winged Blackbird and Common Grackle. Condor 91:242-253.
  15. Nelms, C. O., et al. 1994. Population estimates of breeding blackbirds in North Dakota, 1967, 1981-1982, and 1990. Am. Midl. Nat. 132:256-263.
  16. Sibley, C.G., and B.L. Monroe, Jr. 1990. Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. xxiv + 1111 pp.
  17. Tarvin, K. A., and G. E. Woolfenden. 1999. Blue Jay (<i>Cyanocitta cristata</i>). No. 469 IN A. Poole and F. Gill, editors. The birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. 32pp.
  18. Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  19. Thompson, F. R., III. 1994. Temporal and spatial patterns of breeding brown-headed cowbirds in the midwestern United States. Auk 111:979-990.
  20. Williams, L. 1952b. Breeding behavior of the Brewer blackbird. Condor 54:3-47.
  21. Willson, M. F. 1966. Breeding ecology of the Yellow-headed Blackbird. Ecological Monographs 36:51-77.
  22. Zink, R. M., W. L. Rootes, and D. L. Dittman. 1991c. Mitochondrial DNA variation, population structure, and evolution of the common grackle (QUISCALUS QUISCALA). Condor 93:318-329.