# Common Grackle

*Quiscalus quiscula*

Grackles practice 'anting,' rubbing ants on their feathers to use the ants' formic acid as a natural repellent against parasites.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Icteridae › Quiscalus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** decreasing
- **Biome:** urban
- **Habitat:** Open woodlands, agricultural fields, suburban lawns, and city parks.
- **Diet:** Omnivorous; consumes insects, seeds, grain, small fish, frogs, and human food scraps.
- **Range:** North America, United States, Canada
- **Size:** 28-34 cm length with a wingspan up to 46 cm
- **Lifespan:** 15-20 years in the wild
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Pesticide use, habitat loss, and large-scale control programs in agricultural zones.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless but bold. Grackles may dive-bomb or screech if protecting a nest. They are safe to observe from any distance. Do not feed human scraps. If pecked, wash the skin with soap and water.

## About

The common grackle ( Quiscalus quiscula ) is a large icterid found in large numbers through much of North America.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/e8ffd0b1-f4c0-4b73-a07b-41c8cdb97f49
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/9602
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quiscalus quiscula
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/260412819/medium.jpeg (no rights reserved, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.