Carib Grackle
Quiscalus lugubris
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyIcteridae (New World Blackbirds and Orioles)
- GenusQuiscalus (Typical Grackles)
- SpeciesQuiscalus lugubris (Carib Grackle)
About the Carib Grackle
The Carib grackle (Quiscalus lugubris) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae, the oropendolas, New World orioles, and New World blackbirds. It is found throughout the Lesser Antilles, across northern South America from Colombia to extreme northeastern Brazil, and on several islands off South America's northern coast.
The Carib grackle was formally described in 1838 with its current binomial Quiscalus lugubris. For a time the Carib grackle and the Greater Antillean grackle (Q. niger) were placed in the genus Holoquiscalus; they now are believed to form a superspecies.
The Carib grackle has these eight subspecies: Male Carib grackles average 26 cm (10 in) long and females about 22 cm (8.7 in). Males weigh 66 to 80 g (2.3 to 2.8 oz) and females 49 to 58 g (1.7 to 2.0 oz). Males of all subspecies have a long keel-shaped ("V") tail; females' tails are shorter and flat. Adult males of the nominate subspecies Q. l. lugubris are completely black with a violet gloss on most of the body; it is slightly less strong on the underparts. The gloss is more violet-blue on the wing coverts and greener on the flight feathers. Adult females have dull... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Carib Grackle in Caroni Swamp
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Caroni Swamp
Yellow-hooded Blackbird
Chrysomus icterocephalus
Crested Oropendola
Psarocolius decumanus
Yellow Oriole
Icterus nigrogularis
Shiny Cowbird
Molothrus bonariensis
Giant Cowbird
Molothrus oryzivorus
Red-breasted Blackbird
Sturnella militaris
Straight-billed Woodcreeper
Xiphorhynchus picus
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Masked Cardinal
Paroaria nigrogenis
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Northern Waterthrush
Parkesia noveboracensis
Tropical Mockingbird
Mimus gilvus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tayrona National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Caroni Swamp | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | |
| 3 | Main Ridge Forest Reserve | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | |
| 4 | Henri Pittier National Park | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 5 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 6 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 7 | Sierra de la Macarena National Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 8 | Puracé National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 9 | Canaima National Park | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 10 | Chingaza National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 11 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 12 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 13 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 14 | San Lorenzo Protected Forest | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 15 | Chagres National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 16 | Parque Natural Metropolitano | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 17 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Carib Grackle in Caroni Swamp?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Carib Grackle sighting in Caroni Swamp, based on 112 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Carib Grackle in Caroni Swamp?
April has the highest sighting rate for Carib Grackle in Caroni Swamp in our monthly data.