Greater Antillean grackle

Greater Antillean grackle
Q. n. gundlachii, Cayo Coco, Cuba
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Icteridae
Genus:Quiscalus
Species: Q. niger
Binomial name
Quiscalus niger
(Boddaert, 1783)
Range of Q. niger

The Greater Antillean grackle (Quiscalus niger) is a grackle found throughout the Greater Antilles as well as smaller, nearby islands. Like all Quiscalus grackles, it is a rather large, gregarious bird.[2] It lives largely in heavily settled areas.

Appearance

The 27 cm (11 in)-long male is glossy black with a large rudder-like tail; the 24 cm (9.4 in)-long female has a smaller tail and is similar in color but less glossy than the male. The eye is yellow and is the only non-black body part. The Greater antillean Grackle will eat anything that can fit in its mouth.They eat fruits,bread, plant matter,and small Vertebrates and invertebrates

There are seven subspecies, each restricted to one island or island group.[3] They differ from the nominate Q. n. niger subspecies in size, bill size, and colour tone.

See also

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Quiscalus niger". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. ↑ Bond, James (1993). Birds of the West Indies (fifth ed.). Houghton-Mifflin. ISBN 978-0618002108.
  3. ↑ Gill, F.; Donsker, D., eds. (2014). "IOC World Bird List". IOC World Bird List (v 4.2). doi:10.14344/IOC.ML.4.2.
  • BirdLife species factsheet for Quiscalus niger
  • "Greater Antillean grackle media". Internet Bird Collection.
  • Greater Antillean grackle photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)
  • Greater Antillean grackle species account at NeotropicalBirds (Cornell University)
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