Greater Antillean Grackle (Quiscalus niger)

Other Names (World)
Greater Antillean Grackle, Antillean Grackle

Family
Icteridae (New World Blackbirds)

Size
25 - 30 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Boddaert, 1783)

Habitat
Inland wetlands. From sea-level - 1,800 m.

Range (Guide)

Cayman Islands (B), Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico.

Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Voice
Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (33)...)

Greater Antillean Grackle (Quiscalus niger) [XC46673]
by Richard C. Hoyer from La Turba, Cienaga Zapata, Matanzas, Puerto Rico (call)

Greater Antillean Grackle (Quiscalus niger) [XC211312]
by Catriona Leven from , Jamaica (song)

Subspecies
Formerly placed with Carib Grackle (Quiscalus lugubris) in a separate genus, Holoquiscalus and thought to be closest to that species, but recent analysis of mitochondrial DNA indicates that Carib Grackle (Quiscalus lugubris) is closer to Nicaraguan Grackle (Quiscalus nicaraguensis). The same DNA study revealed moderate sequence divergences among four populations of present species (Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico). Existence of two subspecies in Cuba possibly due to fact that gundlachii evolved later and is slowly replacing caribaeus on main island. The two intergrade in western Cuba (Pinar del R��o).

The following 7 subspecies are recognised:

caribaeus (Todd, 1916) - Extreme western Cuba (Pinar del R��o), and I of Pines and adjacent cayos.
gundlachii Cassin, 1867 - Cuba (eastern from Pinar del R��o), including northern cayos and Jardines de la Reina Archipelago.
caymanensis Cory, 1886 - Grand Cayman I.
bangsi (Peters, JL, 1921) - Little Cayman I.
crassirostris Swainson, 1838 - Jamaica.
niger (Boddaert, 1783) - Hispaniola.
brachypterus Cassin, 1867 - Puerto Rico and I de Vieques.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Greater Antillean Grackle (Quiscalus niger) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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