The Great-tailed Grackle or Mexican GrackleQuiscalus mexicanus is a medium-sized, gregarious bird native to North and South America. It belongs to the Icteridae family. It is sometimes referred to as a "blackbird" but is not related to any of the five species of Old World blackbirds of the Turdus genue but instead is a member of the New World Blackbirds. It. Similarly, it is often called “cuervo” in areas ofMexico, although it is not a member of the Corvus genus nor even of the Corvidae family. It is a large bird with males reaching up to 17 in, including a tail that is almost as long as the body. This size of both the bird and the tail is apparent in photo 9736 of the Great-tailed Grackle on a car. They are jet-black with a violet-blue iridescent sheen to the feathers. Females are significantly smaller at 13 in and are mainly brownish-black, with a pale brown throat and belly. The Great-tailed Grackle and Boat-tailed Grackles were once considered the same species. The iris of the Great-tailed Grackle is more prominent yellow than for the Boat-tailed Grackle.
Quiscalus is the genus of true grackles with the following 6 species: