Common grackle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Common grackle |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Quiscalus
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| Species: |
quiscula
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| Approximate range in North America Breeding range Year-round range Wintering range |
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| Synonyms | |
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Gracula quiscula Linnaeus, 1758 |
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The common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) is a large blackbird found in many parts of North America. These birds are quite common. Carl Linnaeus first described them in 1758. There are three types, or subspecies, of common grackles. Adult grackles have a long, dark beak, light yellow eyes, and a long tail. Their feathers often look shiny and colorful, especially on the males. You can find common grackles across North America, mainly east of the Rocky Mountains.
Contents
About the Common Grackle's Name
The common grackle was first described in 1758. A famous scientist named Carl Linnaeus gave it the name Gracula quiscula. Later, a French bird expert, Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot, placed it in the group called Quiscalus in 1816.
There are three main types of common grackles:
- the Florida grackle (Q. q. quiscula)
- the purple grackle (Q. q. stonei)
- the bronzed grackle (Q. q. versicolor)
What Common Grackles Look Like
Adult common grackles are about 28 to 34 cm (11 to 13 in) long. Their wings can spread 36–46 cm (14–18 in) wide. They weigh between 74–142 g (2.6–5.0 oz). Male and female grackles look a bit different. Males are usually larger, weighing about 122 g (4.3 oz). Females are smaller, around 94 g (3.3 oz).
Adult grackles have a long, dark beak and light yellow eyes. Their feathers are black, but they shimmer with purple, green, or blue colors on their heads. Their bodies often have a bronze shine. Female grackles are less colorful and have shorter tails. Their tails don't have the same ridge as the males' tails when they fly. Young grackles are brown with dark brown eyes.
When many grackles gather together, their group is sometimes called a "plague."
Where Common Grackles Live
Common grackles live in open areas and places with some trees across North America. They build their nests in thick trees, especially pine trees, or bushes. Nests are usually close to water. Sometimes, they nest in holes or on human-made buildings. Grackles often nest in groups, and some of these groups can be very large. They also use bird houses for nesting. A female grackle usually lays four to seven eggs.
Many grackles stay in the same area all year. However, birds from the northern parts of their range fly south for winter. They travel in large groups to the Southeastern United States. Grackles have spread their range a lot since the last Ice Age, about 22,000 years ago.
How Common Grackles Live
What Common Grackles Eat
Common grackles look for food on the ground, in shallow water, or in bushes. They are known to steal food from other birds. They eat many different things, like insects, small fish, frogs, eggs, berries, seeds, grain, and even tiny birds and mice. If you see grackles at outdoor eating spots, they often wait for other birds to drop food. Then they quickly grab it, sometimes even taking it right from another bird's beak! They like to eat seeds scattered on the ground at bird feeders. You can often see them looking for insects after a lawn has been mowed.
Grackles have a special beak that helps them crack hard nuts or seeds. Their beak has a sharp ridge inside that they use like a saw. This helps them open tough foods like acorns. They also have strong jaw muscles, which makes cracking hard seeds even easier.
Common grackles, like some other grackle species, sometimes do something called "anting." This is when they rub insects on their feathers. They might do this to put liquids from the insects, like formic acid, onto their feathers.
Common Grackle Sounds
The common grackle's calls can sound quite harsh, especially when many birds are calling together in a flock. Their songs change throughout the year. They have a simple chewink chewink call. During breeding season, they make a more complex ooo whew, whew, whew, whew, whew sound. This call gets faster and faster and ends with a loud crewhewwhew! Sometimes, their call even sounds like a buzzing power line. Grackles can also copy the sounds of other birds or even humans. However, they are not as good at it as a mockingbird.
Common Grackle Breeding
During the breeding season, male grackles show off to attract females and keep other males away. They tip their heads back and fluff up their feathers. This same behavior is also used to try and scare away predators. Male common grackles are not as aggressive towards each other as some other grackle species. They tend to be more cooperative and social.
Common Grackles and People
The common grackle's home range grew bigger as forests were cleared by people. In some places, farmers see them as a problem because there are so many of them, and they like to eat grain. Even though there are still many grackles, a study by the National Audubon Society showed that their numbers have gone down. Their population dropped by 61%, from over 190 million birds to about 73 million.
Unlike many birds, common grackles actually do well when human populations grow. This is because they are very good at finding food and adapting to new places. Some people think common grackles are a serious threat to crops. It can be very hard to get rid of them. Sometimes, people use large birds of prey, like hawks, to help control their numbers.
How Grackles Might Sense Magnets
Scientists have studied how common grackles can sense the Earth's magnetic field. It's not fully understood how they do it. However, studies show that common grackles, and most of their relatives in the Quiscalus group, are very good at sensing changes in magnetic fields.
Gallery
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Shiny back and head
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Shimmering colors in direct sunlight
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A grackle with some white feathers
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A baby grackle
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An albino grackle photographed in Peterborough, Ontario, 2012
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A male grackle eating in the grass
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In Ontario, Canada
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Images for kids
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The shiny feathers of a grackle
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A common grackle in Central Park
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A grackle close up, standing by corn plants. Common grackles can damage corn by pulling up new plants.
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See also
In Spanish: Zanate común para niños
