CreatureData

Common grackle

Quiscalus quiscula (Linnaeus, 1758)

NTNear Threatenedsongbirds

The common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) is a species in the family Icteridae, order Passeriformes. Recorded adults weigh 92.2 g to 120 g and live up to 22.9 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Near Threatened.

Common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
Photo: Rhododendrites · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the common grackle

Weight
92.2 g – 120 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Wingspan
38.9 cm – 43.9 cmsrc for Wingspan
Lifespan
22.9 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Omnivoresrc for Diet
Longest recorded lifespan
23.1 years
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
wetlandsrc for Habitat
Egg incubation
14 dayssrc for Egg incubation
Young per litter or clutch
4.2 – 5src for Young per litter or clutch
Litters or clutches a year
1src for Litters or clutches a year
Lifestyle
Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Partialsrc for Migration
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

How big is the common grackle?

COMMON GRACKLE · WINGSPAN 43.9 CMADULT HUMAN · HEIGHT 1.7 M
At 43.9 cm, the recorded maximum wingspan of the common grackle is about 26% of the height of an adult human (1.7 m, a fixed reference used for scale).

Where does the common grackle live?

Not recorded

What is the common grackle?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

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.

From the Wikipedia article “Common grackle” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Common_grackle&oldid=1382279813), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the common grackle endangered?

The common grackle is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List: it is close to qualifying as threatened.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Near Threatened species.

How is the common grackle classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderPasseriformes
  5. familyIcteridae
  6. genusQuiscalus
  7. SpeciesQuiscalus quiscula (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms Gracula quiscula, Quiscala nitens, Quiscalus purpuratus, Quiscalus quiscala

Other names and names in other languages (51)
  • Crow blackbirdEnglish
  • Maize thiefEnglish
  • Purple grackleEnglish
  • ية مألوفArabic
  • السُّواديَّة المألوفةArabic
  • سوادية مألوفةArabic
  • Обикновен трупиалBulgarian
  • quíscal comúCatalan
  • vlhovec lesklýCzech
  • vlhovec nachovýCzech
  • gregl gyffredinWelsh
  • SortgrackelDanish
  • PurpurgrackelGerman
  • Purpur-GrackelGerman
  • Komuna kviskaloEsperanto
  • glacea nigrikteroEsperanto
  • Zanate comúnSpanish
  • Zanate NorteñoSpanish
  • زاغ آمریکایی معمولیPersian
  • purppuraturpiaaliFinnish
  • Quiscale bronzéFrench
  • GracaillIrish
  • blistavi vranjakCroatian
  • északi csónakfarkúHungarian
  • BlásótiIcelandic
  • Gracula comuneItalian
  • Gracchio comune americanoItalian
  • オオクロムクドリモドキJapanese
  • ookuromukudorimodokiJapanese
  • 긴꼬리검은찌르레기사촌Korean
  • paprastasis kviskalasLithuanian
  • parastais pusvārnisLatvian
  • Chʼagiitseenézí dootłʼizhígííNavajo
  • GlanstroepiaalDutch
  • glanstrupialNorwegian
  • Zhaawananiisi (Siginaat)Ojibwa
  • wilgowron mniejszyPolish
  • rabo-de-quilhaPortuguese
  • rabo-de-quilha-comumPortuguese
  • Пурпурный граклRussian
  • Обыкновенный граклRussian
  • Обыкновенный вороний дроздRussian
  • ŠelgestrupiálaNorthern Sami
  • krakačSlovenian
  • Obični kukuruzarSerbian
  • mindre båtstjärtSwedish
  • Mor KiskalTurkish
  • Ґракл звичайнийUkrainian
  • гракл пурпуровошиїйUkrainian
  • 拟八哥Chinese
  • 普通擬八哥Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List

Relatives of the common grackle

Other species in the same genus Quiscalus.

LC, Least Concern

Carib grackle

Quiscalus lugubris

IcteridaeNo free photo yet

CompareCommon grackle vs Great-tailed grackleCommon grackle vs Boat-tailed grackleCommon grackle vs Slender-billed grackleCommon grackle vs Greater Antillean grackle

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the common grackle?

An adult common grackle weighs 92.2 g – 120 g and has a wingspan of 38.9 cm – 43.9 cm, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the common grackle endangered?

The common grackle is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is close to qualifying as threatened.

How long does the common grackle live?

The common grackle has a recorded lifespan of 22.9 years.

What kind of animal is the common grackle?

The common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) belongs to the family Icteridae in the order Passeriformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-grackle

MLA

“Common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-grackle.

BibTeX
@misc{common_grackle_2026,
  title = {Common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-grackle},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}