NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula (Linnaeus, 1758)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Common grackle in Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Rhododendrites · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
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.
Wikipedia contributors, Common grackle; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:57:06.651180+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Quiscalus quiscula (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Name authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Common name
- Common Grackle
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Icteridae
- Genus
- Quiscalus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyIcteridae
- genusQuiscalus Vieillot, 1816
- speciesQuiscalus quiscula (Linnaeus, 1758)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Quiscalus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Boat-tailed GrackleQuiscalus major Vieillot, 1819 | IcteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Great-tailed GrackleQuiscalus mexicanus (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) | IcteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Nicaraguan GrackleQuiscalus nicaraguensis Salvin & Godman, 1891 | IcteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Slender-billed GrackleQuiscalus palustris (Swainson, 1827) | IcteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extinct |
| Carib GrackleQuiscalus lugubris Swainson, 1838 | IcteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Greater Antillean GrackleQuiscalus niger (Boddaert, 1783) | IcteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Gracula quiscula Linnaeus, 1758 Linnaeus, 1758 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=179104 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4R7KG. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.