Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyIcteridae (Ictèrids)
- GenusQuiscalus (Typical Grackles)
- SpeciesQuiscalus quiscula (Common Grackle)
The common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) is an icterid bird found in large numbers through much of North America. It was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus and has three officially recognized subspecies. Adult common grackles have a long and dark bill, pale yellow eyes, and a long tail. Adults often have a bluish iridescent appearance on their head, this feature being more pronounced on males. Common grackles can be found widely across North America east of the Rocky Mountains and are highly adaptable to their environment. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Joshua Tree National Park
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
Hooded Oriole
Icterus cucullatus
Brewer's Blackbird
Euphagus cyanocephalus
Scott's Oriole
Icterus parisorum
Western Meadowlark
Sturnella neglecta
Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater
Bronzed Cowbird
Molothrus aeneus
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
Bullock's Oriole
Icterus bullockii
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
Orchard Oriole
Icterus spurius
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Common Grackle at Joshua Tree National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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