Greater Antillean grackle
Greater Antillean grackle | |
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File:Quiscalus niger1.jpg | |
Puerto Rican subspecies Q. n. brachypterus |
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Q. niger
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Binomial name | |
Quiscalus niger (Boddaert, 1783)
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File:Quiscalus niger map.svg | |
Range of Q. niger |
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The Greater Antillean grackle (Quiscalus niger) is a grackle found throughout the Greater Antilles and the Cayman Islands as well as smaller, nearby islands. Like all Quiscalus grackles, it is a rather large, gregarious bird.[2] It lives largely in heavily settled areas.
Appearance
The 27 cm (11 in) long male is glossy black with a large rudder-like tail; the 24 cm (9.4 in) long female has a smaller tail and is similar in colour but less glossy than the male. The eye is yellow and is the only non-black body part.
There are seven subspecies, each restricted to one island or island group.[3] They differ from the nominate Q. n. niger subspecies in size, bill size, and colour tone.
- Q. n. caribaeus – (Todd, 1916): found in western Cuba and on Isle of Pines
- Q. n. gundlachii – Cassin, 1867: found in central and eastern Cuba
- Q. n. caymanensis – Cory, 1886: found on Grand Cayman Island
- Q. n. bangsi – (Peters, JL, 1921): found on Little Cayman Island
- Q. n. crassirostris – Swainson, 1838: found in Jamaica
- Q. n. niger – (Boddaert, 1783): nominate, found on Hispaniola
- Q. n. brachypterus – Cassin, 1867: found in Puerto Rico
Gallery
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Greater Antillean Grackle.jpg
Adult
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Greater Antillean Grackle in PR.jpg
In San Juan, Puerto Rico
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Quiscalus niger -Ciego de Avila Province, Cuba-8 (3).jpg
In Cuba
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Greater Antillean Grackle (Quiscalus niger) RWD.jpg
In Puerto Rico
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Greater Antillean Grackle RWD2.jpg
In Puerto Rico
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Greater Antillean Grackle RWD3.jpg
In Jamaica
See also
References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Quiscalus niger. |
Wikispecies has information related to: Quiscalus niger |
- BirdLife species factsheet for Quiscalus niger
- Greater Antillean grackle videos, photos, and sounds at the Internet Bird Collection
- Greater Antillean grackle photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)
- Greater Antillean grackle species account at NeotropicalBirds (Cornell University)