North GroundHuntNorth Ground Hunt — return to North Ground
Species authority page

Great-tailed grackle

Quiscalus mexicanus · Unprotected and nuisance birds

Great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus): Very long tail and yellow eyes; male 46-58 cm, female 38-46 cm. Male glossy black, more evenly coloured than Common Grackle and much larger. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and dateOpen the great-tailed grackle map

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Great-tailed grackle perched on a wooden post
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash
Scientific name
Quiscalus mexicanus
Family
Icteridae
In North America
Native
Range
Resident from southeastern California and southern Nevada east to southern Nebraska and southwestern Missouri, south into South America; breeding range is expanding, with recent nesting in Oregon and probably Idaho.
Biology

How to identify it

Very long tail and yellow eyes; male 46-58 cm, female 38-46 cm. [1][2]

Male glossy black, more evenly coloured than Common Grackle and much larger. [1][2]

Female buff below and on the eyebrow, smaller than the male. [1][2]

Compare to Boat-tailed Grackle. [1][2]

Compared with the common grackle: Smaller with a shorter tail and less evenly coloured male. [1][2]

Compared with the boat-tailed grackle: Audubon says to compare; NatureServe treats it as a separate species with overlap from Louisiana to Texas. [1][2]

Species it is confused with

Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.

Field notes

  • Identification Confirm a great-tailed grackle before you act. Compared with the common grackle: Smaller with a shorter tail and less evenly coloured male.[1][2]
Field knowledge

Where it lives

Groves, thickets, farms, towns and city parks; mostly lowlands including farmland, marshes, irrigated fields, suburban lawns and brushy areas; avoids true desert but occurs around streams or ponds in dry country. [1][2]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Usually feeds in flocks, mostly on the ground or wading in very shallow water; also forages in trees and shrubs, searching for nests to rob [1][2]

Omnivorous: insects, spiders, crayfish, tadpoles, small fish, lizards, eggs and nestlings, plus seeds, waste grain, berries and fruit [1][2]

Variety of whistles, clucks and hissing notes; breeding range is expanding [1][2]

Regulatory handoff

Where it is listed for removal or nuisance take

These authorities list this species as nuisance, invasive or unprotected wildlife that may be taken. This is not a game season.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Resident from southeastern California and southern Nevada east to southern Nebraska and southwestern Missouri, south into South America; breeding range is expanding, with recent nesting in Oregon and probably Idaho.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30

    National Audubon Society

  2. NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30

    NatureServe