Great-tailed Grackle

BirdNote^®

Great-tailed Grackle

Written by Conor Gearin

This is BirdNote. 

    [Great-tailed Grackle calls]

Great-tailed Grackles live up to their name. The glossy black males trail their long, V-shaped tails behind them as they fly, almost like a plane towing a banner ad. 

And while not quite as flashy, the brown-feathered females have impressively long tails, too. The males settle disputes by fanning their tails —  but if the feathers aren’t enough to intimidate their rival, a wrestling match ensues.

[Great-tailed Grackle calls]

Also known as the Mexican Grackle, this species lives in all sorts of habitats from the northern coasts of South America to the western U.S. They keep their nests secure in tall trees, sometimes over 60 feet high. Their ability to live in both cities and farmland has helped Great-tailed Grackles expand as far north as Iowa.

But they’re still more abundant in Central America and southern Texas, where their cacophony of calls helps create the local soundscape. Great-tailed Grackles rattle, screech, whistle and creak, sounding more machine than bird, at times.

    [Great-tailed Grackle calls]

And grackles are fond of gathering in flocks of thousands. Adding all those squeaks and clicks together creates a symphony unlike any other.

    [Great-tailed Grackle flock calls]

For BirdNote, I’m Michael Stein.

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Senior Producer: John Kessler
Content Director: Allison Wilson
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Great-tailed Grackle ML 222770381 recorded by Bill Schmoker, and Great-tailed Grackle ML 84060451 recorded by Kathleen Dvorak.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2023 BirdNote  April 2023         
Narrator: Michael Stein

ID# GTGR-03-2023-04-17        GTGR-03

Reference:
https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/grtgra/cur/introduction