GRACKLE

also called Crow-blackbird, any of several species of birds belonging to the family Icteridae (order Passeriformes) that have iridescent black plumage and long tails. Grackles use their stout, pointed bills to snap up insects, dig grubs from the soil, and kill small vertebrates, including fishes and baby birds; they can also crack hard seeds. Most grackles nest in colonies; after breeding, they form large flocks and may damage crops. The common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) of North America is about 30 cm (12 inches) long. In the great-tailed and boat-tailed grackles (Cassidix mexicanus and C. major), the male has a long, deeply keeled tail: his total length may be 43 cm. These species are found in arid lands of the southwestern United States to Peru and in salt marshes from New Jersey to Texas. The latter population, locally called jackdaws, consists of a separate species (C. minor). For the grackle of southern Asia, see mynah.