Great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)

Males are up to 43 cm in length (with a tail almost as long as its body), weights 230 g, and are black with an iridescent luster. Females are smaller; they measure up to 33 cm in length, weigh 125 g, and are brown.

They are very successful and intelligent, capable of opening bags and cardboard boxes in search of food. They tend to intimidate smaller species and defend their nests aggressively by clicking an alarm that puts others on alert. This bird has a unique song to conquer the female, which is strident and is accompanied by a dance in front of the female, opening his wings and jumping.

Habitat:

Groves, bushes, farms, cities, city parks. Found in many types of open and semi-open field, mainly lowland, including farmland, salt marsh, irrigated fields, suburban grass, planed areas. Avoids the desert, but it can be common around streams or ponds in dry terrain.

Diet:

Omnivore. The diet is extremely varied; includes many insects, spiders, millipedes, snails, crayfish, tadpoles, small fish, lizards, eggs, and nests of other birds, and sometimes adult birds. It also eats a wide variety of seeds, waste grain, berries, fruits, and nuts. It feeds mainly on the ground or wading in very shallow water, also in trees and bushes, especially in search of nests to steal. It generally feeds in flocks.

Resident bird with the possibility of sighting throughout the year.

Location:

It is found throughout the property, particularly in wooded areas.