Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)

County List:

Rule:

Forested or Nonforested Landscapes

1st alternative:
      Marsh 2
      or Bog
      or Treed Bog

2nd alternative:
      Lowland Brush
   containing:
      Conifer Inclusions

Habitat List:

view size class definitions

Literature:

Habitat: Common Grackles accept a variety of habitats. In the Atlas Habitat Survey, they were recorded from 15 of the 22 major habitat categories. They nest in wetland areas such as cattail marshes and sphagnum bogs. They also often nest near cultivated areas, in residential neighborhoods, and cemeteries. The most prevalent habitats in the Atlas Survey were residential and shrub wetland.

Today, the nest site of choice is in conifers such as white pine, blue spruce, and eastern red cedar; however, grackles will also nest in apple orchards, tree stump cavities, abandoned buildings, and even Osprey nests. Externally the nest consists of a loosely made cup of twigs, coarse grasses, lichens, and is often reinforced with mud; the cup is lined with grasses, feathers, hair and sometimes string or rags. Grackles frequently nest in small colonies.

Habitat: Breeding: Farmlands, suburbs, marshes, swamps, meadows at low elevations. Uncommon in mountains. Wintering: Agricultural areas with or without open water and with some bare ground.

Habitat: Farmland, towns, groves, streamsides. Common in many kinds of open or semi-open country. Often forages in farm fields, pastures, suburban lawns, feedlots, marshes. Nests and roosts in places with dense trees (especially conifers) close to open areas, as in groves, woodland edges, parks.

Diet: Omnivorous. Feeds on insects, including beetle grubs, grasshoppers, caterpillars, many others; also spiders, millipedes, earthworms, and such diverse items as crayfish, minnows, frogs, lizards, eggs and young of other birds, and small rodents. Vegetable matter also important in diet, may be majority in winter; includes berries, seeds, waste grain, acorns.

Nest: Site is often well hidden among branches of dense tree or shrubs near water, less than 20 feet above ground; sometimes much higher, or very low in marsh growth. Unusual sites include hole in tree or hollow stump, in lower part of active Osprey nest, or inside old building. Nest is bulky open cup of weeds, grass, twigs, usually with some mud added; inside lined with fine grass.