Great-tailed Grackle

Quiscalus mexicanus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Cordats)
ClassAves (Aus)
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyIcteridae (Ictèrids)
GenusQuiscalus (Typical Grackles)
SpeciesQuiscalus mexicanus (Great-tailed Grackle)

Insufficient data

overall probability at Badlands National Park

1 Verified records at Badlands National Park

☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The great-tailed grackle or Mexican grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) is a medium-sized, highly social passerine bird native to North and South America. A member of the family Icteridae, it is one of 10 extant species of grackle and is closely related to the boat-tailed grackle and the extinct slender-billed grackle. In the southern and southwestern United States, the grackle is sometimes referred to simply as a "blackbird" or (erroneously) a "crow" due to its glossy black plumage; however, grackles form their own unique genus that is separate from other "blackbirds", such as the red-winged and Brewer's blackbirds, despite being in the same family (Icteridae). Superficially, Brewer's blackbird is one of the most visually similar species to grackles. In some parts of Mexico, the grackle is sometimes referred to in Spanish as cuervo ("raven"; "crow"), although it is not a member of the crow genus (Corvus) nor of their family (Corvidae). Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Badlands National Park

Quiscalus quiscula

40–50% · Likely

Sturnella neglecta

90–100% · Very likely

Agelaius phoeniceus

Molothrus ater

Icterus spurius

Dolichonyx oryzivorus

5–10% · With luck

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

5–10% · With luck

Euphagus cyanocephalus

Sturnella magna

Icterus bullockii

Icterus galbula

Salpinctes obsoletus

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of Great-tailed Grackle at Badlands National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Probability
1	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	80–90%
2	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	80–90%
3	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	70–80%
4	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	70–80%
5	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	60–70%
6	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	60–70%
7	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	60–70%
8	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	50–60%
9	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	50–60%
10	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	50–60%
11	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	50–60%
12	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	50–60%
13	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	50–60%
14	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	50–60%
15	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	50–60%
16	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	50–60%
17	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	50–60%
18	Celaque National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	40–50%
19	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	40–50%
20	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	40–50%
21	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	40–50%
22	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	40–50%
23	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	40–50%
24	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	30–40%
25	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	30–40%
26	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	30–40%
27	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	30–40%
28	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	30–40%
29	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	30–40%
30	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	30–40%
31	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	30–40%
32	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	30–40%
33	Irazú Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	20–30%
34	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	20–30%
35	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	20–30%
36	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	20–30%
37	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	20–30%
38	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	20–30%
39	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	20–30%
40	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	20–30%
41	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	20–30%
42	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	20–30%
43	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	20–30%
44	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	20–30%
45	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	20–30%
46	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	10–20%
47	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	10–20%
48	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	10–20%
49	Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca	🇲🇽 Mexico	10–20%
50	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	10–20%
51	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	10–20%
52	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	10–20%
53	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	10–20%
54	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	5–10%
55	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	5–10%
56	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
57	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
58	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
59	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
60	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
61	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
62	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
63	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
64	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
65	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
66	Badlands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
67	Guadalupe Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
68	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
69	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
70	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
71	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data

← Back to Badlands National Park

Great-tailed Grackle

Closest Relatives at Badlands National Park

Common Grackle

Western Meadowlark

Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Orchard Oriole

Bobolink

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Brewer's Blackbird

Eastern Meadowlark

Bullock's Oriole

Baltimore Oriole

Rock Wren

📅 Monthly Probability

☀️ When They're Spotted

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found