Common Grackle
Common GrackleCommon GrackleCommon GrackleCommon Grackle

Common Grackle

Quiscalus quiscula

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Saguaro National Park
68 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
40,311 Verified sightings across all 27 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the 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.

The common grackle was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of Systema Naturae, as Gracula quiscula. It was assigned to the genus Quiscalus by French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in his 1816 Dictionnaire d'histoire naturelle.

Three subspecies are recognized: the Florida grackle (Q. q. quiscula) (Linnaeus 1758), the nominate subspecies the purple grackle (Q. q. stonei) (Chapman, 1935) the bronzed grackle (Q. q. versicolor) (Vieillot, 1816) Adult common grackles measure from 28 to 34 cm (11 to 13 in) in length, span 36–46 cm (14–18 in) across the wings, and weigh 74–142 g (2.6–5.0 oz). Common grackles... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Great-tailed Grackle
LC Endemic

Great-tailed Grackle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Quiscalus mexicanus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Red-winged Blackbird
LC

Red-winged Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Agelaius phoeniceus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Brown-headed Cowbird
LC

Brown-headed Cowbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Molothrus ater

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Hooded Oriole
LC

Hooded Oriole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Icterus cucullatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Brewer's Blackbird
NT

Brewer's Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Euphagus cyanocephalus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Rusty Blackbird

Rusty Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Euphagus carolinus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Yellow-headed Blackbird
LC

Yellow-headed Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Bullock's Oriole

Bullock's Oriole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Icterus bullockii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Bronzed Cowbird
LC

Bronzed Cowbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Molothrus aeneus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Western Meadowlark
LC

Western Meadowlark

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sturnella neglecta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Scott's Oriole
LC

Scott's Oriole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Icterus parisorum

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Baltimore Oriole
LC

Baltimore Oriole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Icterus galbula

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

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 Daily sighting probability
1 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~80%
2 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
3 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
4 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
5 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
6 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
7 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
8 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
9 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
10 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
11 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
12 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
13 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
14 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
15 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
16 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
17 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
18 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
19 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
20 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
21 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
22 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
23 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
24 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
25 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
26 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
27 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Common Grackle in Saguaro National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Grackle sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 68 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Common Grackle in Saguaro National Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for Common Grackle in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

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