Great-tailed Grackle

Quiscalus mexicanus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyIcteridae (New World Blackbirds and Orioles)
GenusQuiscalus (Typical Grackles)
SpeciesQuiscalus mexicanus (Great-tailed Grackle)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Badlands National Park

1 Verified sightings at Badlands National Park From 2019 to 2026

64,501 Verified sightings across all 63 parks From 2019 to 2026

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

About the Great-tailed Grackle

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). The great-tailed grackle was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the crows in the genus Corvus and coined the... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Badlands National Park

Quiscalus quiscula

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Sturnella neglecta

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

Agelaius phoeniceus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Molothrus ater

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Icterus spurius

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Sturnella magna

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Dolichonyx oryzivorus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Euphagus cyanocephalus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Icterus bullockii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Icterus galbula

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Salpinctes obsoletus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

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

← Back to Badlands National Park

Great-tailed Grackle

About the Great-tailed Grackle

Recent sightings of Great-tailed Grackle in Badlands National Park

Closest Relatives at Badlands National Park

Common Grackle

Western Meadowlark

Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Orchard Oriole

Eastern Meadowlark

Bobolink

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Brewer's Blackbird

Bullock's Oriole

Baltimore Oriole

Rock Wren

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found