Great-tailed Grackle
Great-tailed GrackleGreat-tailed GrackleGreat-tailed GrackleGreat-tailed Grackle

Great-tailed Grackle

Quiscalus mexicanus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
10–20% · With luck
overall probability at Joshua Tree National Park
579 Verified records at Joshua Tree National Park
July Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The great-tailed grackle or Mexican grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) is a medium-sized, highly social passerine bird native to North and South America. A member of the family Icteridae, it is one of 10 extant species of grackle and is closely related to the boat-tailed grackle and the extinct slender-billed grackle. In the southern and southwestern United States, the grackle is sometimes referred to simply as a "blackbird" or (erroneously) a "crow" due to its glossy black plumage; however, grackles form their own unique genus that is separate from other "blackbirds", such as the red-winged and Brewer's blackbirds, despite being in the same family (Icteridae). Superficially, Brewer's blackbird is one of the most visually similar species to grackles. In some parts of Mexico, the grackle is sometimes referred to in Spanish as cuervo ("raven"; "crow"), although it is not a member of the crow genus (Corvus) nor of their family (Corvidae). Wikipedia →

10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Great-tailed Grackle sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 579 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Joshua Tree National Park

Common Grackle
NT

Common Grackle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Quiscalus quiscula

Insufficient data
Hooded Oriole
LC

Hooded Oriole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Icterus cucullatus

5–10% · With luck
Brewer's Blackbird
NT

Brewer's Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Euphagus cyanocephalus

5–10% · With luck
Scott's Oriole
LC

Scott's Oriole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Icterus parisorum

5–10% · With luck
Western Meadowlark
LC

Western Meadowlark

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sturnella neglecta

5–10% · Rare
Brown-headed Cowbird
LC

Brown-headed Cowbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Molothrus ater

<5% · Rare
Bronzed Cowbird
LC

Bronzed Cowbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Molothrus aeneus

Insufficient data
Red-winged Blackbird
LC

Red-winged Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Agelaius phoeniceus

<5% · Rare
Bullock's Oriole

Bullock's Oriole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Icterus bullockii

<5% · Rare
Yellow-headed Blackbird
LC

Yellow-headed Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

<5% · Rare
Orchard Oriole
LC Endemic

Orchard Oriole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Icterus spurius

<5% · Rare
Baltimore Oriole
LC

Baltimore Oriole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Icterus galbula

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
5–10
Feb
10–20
Mar
10–20
Apr
10–20
May
20–30
Jun
20–30
Jul
10–20
Aug
5–10
Sep
10–20
Oct
5–10
Nov
5–10
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
80–90%
2 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
80–90%
3 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
70–80%
4 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
70–80%
5 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
60–70%
6 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
60–70%
7 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
60–70%
8 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
50–60%
9 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
50–60%
10 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
50–60%
11 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
50–60%
12 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
50–60%
13 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
50–60%
14 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
50–60%
15 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
50–60%
16 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
50–60%
17 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
50–60%
18 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
40–50%
19 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
20 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
21 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
40–50%
22 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
40–50%
23 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
24 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
30–40%
25 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
30–40%
26 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
30–40%
27 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
30–40%
28 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
30–40%
29 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
30–40%
30 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
30–40%
31 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
30–40%
32 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
30–40%
33 Irazú Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
20–30%
34 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
20–30%
35 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
20–30%
36 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
20–30%
37 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
20–30%
38 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
39 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
20–30%
40 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
20–30%
41 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
42 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
20–30%
43 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
20–30%
44 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
20–30%
45 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
20–30%
46 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
47 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
48 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
49 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
50 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
10–20%
51 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
52 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
10–20%
53 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
10–20%
54 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
5–10%
55 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
5–10%
56 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
57 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
58 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
59 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
60 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
61 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
62 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
63 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
64 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
65 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
66 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
67 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
68 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
69 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
70 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
71 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Great-tailed Grackle in Joshua Tree National Park?

About 13% of wildlife watchers report a Great-tailed Grackle sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 579 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Great-tailed Grackle in Joshua Tree National Park?

July has the highest sighting rate for Great-tailed Grackle in Joshua Tree National Park in our monthly data.

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