GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE

The 'Great-tailed Grackle' (''Quiscalus mexicanus'') is a large icterid blackbird , also referred to simply as "blackbird", and occasionally "crow" or "jackdaw", though it is not a member of the Corvidae. Similarly, it is often called "cuervo" in areas of Mexico where there are no true crows.
Its range stretches from Kansas in the northeast to southern California in the northwest down to northwest Peru and northwest Venezuela in the south; the grackle's range has been expanding north and west in recent years. It is common in Texas and Arizona in the southern regions. It is commonly found in agricultural regions and suburban environments, feeding on fruits, seeds, and invertebrates.
There is a considerable amount of sexual dimorphism in this species. Males reach up to 43 cm (18 inches), including a tail that is almost as long as the body, weigh 230 g, and are jet-black with a violet-blue iridescent sheen to the feathers. Females are significantly smaller at 33 cm (13 inches), weigh 125 g, and are mainly brownish-black, with a pale brown throat and belly.
This bird has a large variety of raucous, cacophonous calls, and is widely considered to be a noisy pest species, though its range expansion has not been aided by human introduction (compared to the European Starling).
The Great-tailed Grackle and Boat-tailed Grackle were once considered the same species.
Some species of Grackle, usually the Great-tailed, are confused with an American Crow when people unfamiliar with bird identification are asked to identify a dead blackbird. This usually occurs when birds need to be identified as candidates for West Nile virus.

Contents

References

External links

Further reading

Book

Thesis

Articles

References

★ Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

★ Hilty, '' Birds of Venezuela'', ISBN 0-7136-6418-5

★ Stiles and Skutch, ''A guide to the birds of Costa Rica'' ISBN 0-8014-9600-4

★

External links

★ Great-tailed Grackle at Avibase

★ Great-tailed Grackle at USGS

★ South Dakota Birds - Great-tailed Grackle Information and Photos

Further reading

Book

★ Johnson, K., and B. D. Peer. 2001. ''Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)''. In The Birds of North America, No. 576 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

Thesis

★ Carlson SJ. Ph.D. (1983). ''THE BIOENERGETICS OF ROOST SITE SELECTION FOR GREAT-TAILED GRACKLES (TEXAS)''. Texas A&M University, United States -- Texas.

★ Hanson MT. Ph.D. (1976). ''MOVEMENT PATTERNS, FLOCK PARAMETERS, AND HABITAT SELECTION IN THE GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE''. Texas A&M University, United States -- Texas.

★ Kok OB. Ph.D. (1970). ''BEHAVIOUR OF THE GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE (QUISCALUS MEXICANUS)''. The University of Texas at Austin, United States -- Texas.

★ Teather KL. Ph.D. (1988). ''Sexual size dimorphism in great-tailed grackles: The costs of sons and daughters''. Carleton University (Canada), Canada.

★ Wehtje W. Ph.D. (2004). ''The great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus Gmelin) in the Western United States of America: Range expansion and secondary contact between subspecies''. University of California, Riverside, United States -- California.

Articles

★ Arnold KA & Folse LJJ. (1977). ''Movements of the Great-Tailed Grackle in Texas''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '89', no 4. p. 602-608.

★ Avise JC & Zink RM. (1988). ''Molecular Genetic Divergence between Avian Sibling Species King and Clapper Rails Long-Billed and Short-Billed Dowitchers Boat-Tailed and Great-Tailed Grackles and Tufted and Black-Crested Titmice''. Auk. vol '105', no 3. p. 516-528.

★ Bock CE & Bock JH. (2002). ''Numerical response of grassland birds to cattle ranching versus exurban development in southeastern Arizona''. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting Abstracts. vol '87', no 79.

★ Brown BT & Trosset MW. (1989). ''Nesting-Habitat Relationships of Riparian Birds Along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon Arizona USA''. Southwestern Naturalist. vol '34', no 2. p. 260-270.

★ Cabrera Pena J. (1998). ''Predation of newborn Lepidochelys olivacea (Reptilia: Cheloniidae) by Quiscalus mexicanus (Passeriformes: Icteridae)''. Revista de Biologia Tropical. vol '46', no 3. p. 845-846.

★ Casler CL & Este EE. (1996). ''Mangrove avifauna on Ana Maria Campos Peninsula, Straits of Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela''. Boletin del Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas Universidad del Zulia. vol '30', no 1. p. 9-44.

★ Christensen AF. (2000). ''The fifteenth- and twentieth-century colonization of the Basin of Mexico by the Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)''. Global Ecology & Biogeography. vol '9', no 5. p. 415-420.

★ Clapp RB. (1986). ''Great-Tailed Grackle Kills Barn Swallow in Flight''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '98', no 4. p. 614-615.

★ Cook AG. (1984). ''Birds of the Desert Region of Uintah County Utah USA''. Great Basin Naturalist. vol '44', no 4. p. 584-620.

★ Davis WR, II & Arnold KA. (1972). ''Food Habits of the Great Tailed Grackle in Brazos County Texas''. Condor. vol '74', no 4. p. 439-446.

★ Dinsmore JJ. (1998). ''Iowa's avifauna: Recent changes and prospects for the future''. Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science. vol '105', no 3. p. 115-122.

★ Dinsmore JJ & Dinsmore SJ. (1993). ''Range expansion of the great-tailed grackle in the 1900s''. Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science. vol '100', no 2. p. 54-59.

★ Elder DH. (1988). ''Great-Tailed Grackle New to Ontario Canada''. Ontario Birds. vol '6', no 1. p. 28-31.

★ Faanes CA & Norling W. (1981). ''Nesting of the Great-Tailed Grackle Quiscalus-Mexicanus in Nebraska USA''. American Birds. vol '35', no 2. p. 148-149.

★ Guillory HD. (1977). ''Spread of the Great-Tailed Grackle in Southwestern Louisiana''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '89', no 3. p. 483-485.

★ Guillory HD, Deshotels JH & Guillory C. (1981). ''Great-Tailed Grackle Quiscalus-Mexicanus Reproduction in South Central Louisiana USA''. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol '52', no 4. p. 325-331.

★ Guillory HD, Deshotels JH & Guillory C. (1981). ''GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE REPRODUCTION IN SOUTHCENTRAL LOUISIANA''. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol '52', no 4. p. 325-331.

★ Haemig PD. (1978). ''Aztec Emperor Auitzotl and the Great-Tailed Grackle''. Biotropica. vol '10', no 1. p. 11-17.

★ Hansen MT. (1976). ''A Great-Tailed Grackle Captures and Kills a House Sparrow''. Southwestern Naturalist. vol '21', no 2. p. 240-241.

★ Holmes JA, Dobkin DS & Wilcox BA. (1985). ''2ND NESTING RECORD AND NORTHWARD ADVANCE OF THE GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE (QUISCALUS-MEXICANUS) IN NEVADA''. Great Basin Naturalist. vol '45', no 3. p. 483-484.

★ Holmes JA, Dobkin DS & Wilcox BA. (1985). ''Second Nesting Record and Northward Advance of the Great-Tailed Grackle Quiscalus-Mexicanus in Nevada USA''. Great Basin Naturalist. vol '45', no 3. p. 483-484.

★ Howell SNG & Pyle P. (1993). ''New and noteworthy bird records from Baja California, Mexico, October 1991''. Western Birds. vol '24', no 1. p. 57-62.

★ Jackson J. (1985). ''The Dunking Habit of Common Grackles Quiscalus-Quiscula Insight Learning or Innate Behavior?''. American Birds. vol '39', no 3. p. 261-262.

★ Jennings MR. (1984). ''Predation of Sonoran Spotted Whiptails Cnemidophorus-Sonorae Teiidae by the Great-Tailed Grackle Quiscalus-Mexicanus Icteridae''. Southwestern Naturalist. vol '29', no 4.

★ Johnson DB, Guthery FS & Koerth NE. (1989). ''Grackle Damage to Grapefruit in the Lower Rio Grande Valley Texas USA''. Wildlife Society Bulletin. vol '17', no 1. p. 46-50.

★ Johnson K, DuVal E, Kielt M & Hughes C. (2000). ''Male mating strategies and the mating system of great-tailed grackles''. Behavioral Ecology. vol '11', no 2. p. 132-141.

★ Johnson K, Kielt M, Duval E & Hughes C. (1997). ''The genetic mating system of great-tailed grackles''. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. vol '78', no 4 SUPPL.

★ Kok OB. (1971). ''Vocal Behavior of the Great-Tailed Grackle Quiscalus-Mexicanus-Prosopidicola''. Condor. vol '73', no 3. p. 348-363.

★ Mahrdt CR & Barber RL. (1999). ''Sceloporus occidentalis longipes (Great Basin fence lizard)''. Herpetological Review. vol '30', no 1.

★ Mitchell CA, White DH, Kolbe EJ & Biever RC. (1984). ''Dicrotophos Poisoning of Great-Tailed Grackles Quiscalus-Mexicanus in Texas USA''. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. vol '20', no 3. p. 256-257.

★ Mora MA & Anderson DW. (1995). ''Selenium, boron, and heavy metals in birds from the Mexicali Valley, Baja California, Mexico''. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination & Toxicology. vol '54', no 2. p. 198-206.

★ Patten MA, Erickson RA & Unitt P. (2004). ''Population changes and biogeographic affinities of the birds of the Salton Sink, California/Baja California''. Studies in Avian Biology. vol '27', p. 24-32.

★ Peer BD, Rothstein SI & Rivers JW. (2005). ''First record of Bronzed Cowbird parasitism on the Great-tailed Grackle''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '117', no 2. p. 194-196.

★ Peer BD & Sealy SG. (2000). ''Conspecific brood parasitism and egg rejection in Great-tailed Grackles''. Journal of Avian Biology. vol '31', no 3. p. 271-277.

★ Peer BD & Sealy SG. (2001). ''Mechanism of egg recognition in the great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)''. Bird Behavior. vol '14', no 2. p. 71-73.

★ Peer BD & Sealy SG. (2004). ''Fate of grackle (Quiscalus spp) defenses in the absence of brood parasitism: Implications for long-term parasite-host coevolution''. Auk. vol '121', no 4. p. 1172-1186.

★ Pena JC. (1998). ''Quiscalus mexicanus (Passeriformes : Icteridae) predates on Lepidochelys olivacea (Reptilla : Cheloniidae) neonates''. Revista De Biologia Tropical. vol '46', no 3. p. 845-846.

★ Rutledge JT & Chandler RS. (1979). ''Nest Site Competition between Red-Winged Blackbirds Agelaius-Phoeniceus and Great-Tailed Grackles Quiscalus-Mexicanus''. Auk. vol '96', no 4.

★ Scheuering EJ & Ivey GL. (1995). ''First nesting record of the Great-tailed Grackle in Oregon''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '107', no 3. p. 562-563.

★ Selander RK, Yang SY & Cantu G. (1969). ''Extension of Zone of Sympatry of Quiscalus-Mexicanus and Quiscalus-Major''. Condor. vol '71', no 4. p. 435-436.

★ Shawkey MD, Hauber ME, Estep LK & Hill GE. (2006). ''Evolutionary transitions and mechanisms of matte and iridescent plumage coloration in grackles and allies (Icteridae)''. Journal of the Royal Society Interface. vol '3', no 11. p. 777-786.

★ Slagsvold T, Husby M & Sandvik J. (1992). ''GROWTH AND SEX-RATIO OF NESTLINGS IN 2 SPECIES OF CROWS - HOW IMPORTANT IS HATCHING ASYNCHRONY''. Oecologia. vol '90', no 1. p. 43-49.

★ Smith JNM. (1977). ''Feeding Rates Search Paths and Surveillance for Predators in Great-Tailed Grackle Flocks''. Canadian Journal of Zoology. vol '55', no 6. p. 891-898.

★ Stepney PHR. (1975). ''FIRST RECORDED BREEDING OF GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE IN COLORADO''. Condor. vol '77', no 2. p. 208-210.

★ Teather KL. (1987). ''Intersexual Differences in Food Consumption by Hand-Reared Great-Tailed Grackle Quiscalus-Mexicanus Nestlings''. Auk. vol '104', no 4. p. 635-639.

★ Teather KL. (1989). ''Sex and Egg Size in Great-Tailed Grackles''. Condor. vol '91', no 1. p. 203-205.

★ Teather KL. (1990). ''The Influence of Sibling Gender on the Growth and Survival of Great-Tailed Grackle Nestlings''. Canadian Journal of Zoology. vol '68', no 9. p. 1925-1930.

★ Teather KL & Weatherhead PJ. (1988). ''Sex-Specific Energy Requirements of Great-Tailed Grackle Quiscalus-Mexicanus Nestlings''. Journal of Animal Ecology. vol '57', no 2. p. 659-668.

★ Teather KL & Weatherhead PJ. (1989). ''Sex-Specific Mortality in Nestling Great-Tailed Grackles''. Ecology. vol '70', no 5. p. 1485-1493.

★ Weatherhead PJ & Teather KL. (1991). ''ARE SKEWED FLEDGLING SEX-RATIOS IN SEXUALLY DIMORPHIC BIRDS ADAPTIVE''. Am Nat. vol '138', no 5. p. 1159-1172.

★ Wehtje W. (2003). ''The range expansion of the great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus Gmelin) in North America since 1880''. Journal of Biogeography. vol '30', no 10. p. 1593-1607.

★ White CM, Frost HH, Shirley DL, Webb GM & Porter RD. (1983). ''Bird Distributional and Breeding Records for Southeastern Idaho Utah and Adjacent Regions USA''. Great Basin Naturalist. vol '43', no 4. p. 717-727.