Bird
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
Lives in Louisiana all year and nests here. Found in 45 of 64 parishes, across 10 habitats.
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- 45 of 64 parishes
- Habitats
- 10

At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- 45 of 64 parishes
- Habitats
- 10
- Habitat models
- Summer, Winter
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in Louisiana 10
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
Open sand of beaches, dunes and the hollows between them.
Coastal tidal marshes (salinity not stated)
Tidal marshes of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts where the source does not say whether the water is fresh, brackish or salt. A stated salinity files the marsh under freshwater tidal marshes or salt and brackish marshes instead.
Disturbed and introduced wetlands
Wet ground taken over by weedy or introduced plants after disturbance, such as common reed, Chinese tallow or tamarisk stands; the upland counterpart is roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.
Borders of forests, clearings and shrubby thickets.
Flat, poorly drained uplands and terraces with oaks, sweetgum and sometimes loblolly pine, wet in winter and dry in summer, but neither a floodplain nor a swamp.
Flat, sandy Coastal Plain pine woodlands, wetter than sandhills and denser than savannas.
Open, fire-kept longleaf pine stands over grasses and wildflowers on wet to moist sandy soil.
Open, grass-dominated places kept open by fire, grazing or thin soil, from tallgrass prairie to Piedmont prairies.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Forested wetlands with standing water much of the year, such as cypress and gum swamps.
Other habitats in its models (152)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in Louisiana.
- Developed, Low Intensity Summer and winter.
- Developed, Medium Intensity Summer and winter.
- Developed, High Intensity Summer and winter.
- Orchards Vineyards and Other High Structure Agriculture Summer and winter.
- Southwestern Great Plains Canyon Summer and winter.
- Rocky Mountain Aspen Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Rocky Mountain Bigtooth Maple Ravine Woodland Summer and winter.
- Crosstimbers Oak Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Central and South Texas Coastal Fringe Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Chenier and Upper Texas Coastal Fringe Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland Summer and winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Riparian Forest Summer and winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
- Madrean Encinal Summer and winter.
- Mediterranean California Mixed Oak Woodland Summer and winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland Summer and winter.
- Lower Mississippi River Dune Woodland and Forest Summer and winter.
- Edwards Plateau Limestone Savanna and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Wooded Draw and Ravine Summer and winter.
- Edwards Plateau Dry-Mesic Slope Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Edwards Plateau Mesic Canyon Summer and winter.
- Madrean Pine-Oak Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Madrean Upper Montane Conifer-Oak Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Mediterranean California Lower Montane Black Oak-Conifer Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Sandhill Oak and Shortleaf Pine Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Mediterranean California Mesic Serpentine Woodland and Chaparral Summer and winter.
- Central and Southern California Mixed Evergreen Woodland Summer and winter.
- Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland Summer and winter.
- Great Basin Pinyon-Juniper Woodland Summer and winter.
- Klamath-Siskiyou Lower Montane Serpentine Mixed Conifer Woodland Summer and winter.
- Klamath-Siskiyou Upper Montane Serpentine Mixed Conifer Woodland Summer and winter.
- Madrean Pinyon-Juniper Woodland Summer and winter.
- Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- California Montane Jeffrey Pine-(Ponderosa Pine) Woodland Summer and winter.
- Mediterranean California Subalpine Woodland Summer and winter.
- Rocky Mountain Foothill Limber Pine-Juniper Woodland Summer and winter.
- Southern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland Summer and winter.
- Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland Summer and winter.
- California Coastal Closed-Cone Conifer Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Bluestem Woodland Summer and winter.
- Mediterranean California Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Northern California Mesic Subalpine Woodland Summer and winter.
- Southern Rocky Mountain Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Southern California Coastal Scrub Summer and winter.
- Apacherian-Chihuahuan Mesquite Upland Scrub Summer and winter.
- Tamaulipan Mixed Deciduous Thornscrub Summer and winter.
- Tamaulipan Mesquite Upland Scrub Summer and winter.
- Tamaulipan Calcareous Thornscrub Summer and winter.
- Northern California Coastal Scrub Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Sandhill Steppe Summer and winter.
- Apacherian-Chihuahuan Semi-Desert Grassland and Steppe Summer and winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe Summer and winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe Summer and winter.
- California Maritime Chaparral Summer and winter.
- California Mesic Chaparral Summer and winter.
- California Montane Woodland and Chaparral Summer and winter.
- California Xeric Serpentine Chaparral Summer and winter.
- Madrean Oriental Chaparral Summer and winter.
- Mogollon Chaparral Summer and winter.
- Coahuilan Chaparral Summer and winter.
- California Central Valley Mixed Oak Savanna Summer and winter.
- California Coastal Live Oak Woodland and Savanna Summer and winter.
- California Lower Montane Blue Oak-Foothill Pine Woodland and Savanna Summer and winter.
- Southern California Oak Woodland and Savanna Summer and winter.
- North-Central Oak Barrens Summer and winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nepheline Syenite Glade Summer and winter.
- Klamath-Siskiyou Xeromorphic Serpentine Savanna and Chaparral Summer and winter.
- Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Juniper Savanna Summer and winter.
- Madrean Juniper Savanna Summer and winter.
- Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Savanna Summer and winter.
- Southern Rocky Mountain Juniper Woodland and Savanna Summer and winter.
- Colorado Plateau Mixed Low Sagebrush Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Mat Saltbush Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Southern Colorado Plateau Sand Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Colorado Plateau Blackbrush-Mormon-tea Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Rocky Mountain Gambel Oak-Mixed Montane Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Mesquite Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Edwards Plateau Limestone Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Montane Mesic Meadow Summer and winter.
- Southern Rocky Mountain Montane-Subalpine Grassland Summer and winter.
- Central Mixedgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Sand Prairie Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Arkansas Valley Prairie and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Northern Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Central Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Southern Blackland Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie Summer and winter.
- Tamaulipan Savanna Grassland Summer and winter.
- Tamaulipan Clay Grassland Summer and winter.
- South Texas Sand Sheet Grassland Summer and winter.
- California Mesic Serpentine Grassland Summer and winter.
- California Central Valley and Southern Coastal Grassland Summer and winter.
- California Northern Coastal Grassland Summer and winter.
- South Texas Dune and Coastal Grassland Summer and winter.
- Llano Uplift Acidic Forest, Woodland and Glade Summer and winter.
- Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Shrub Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Annual Grassland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland and Forbland Summer and winter.
- Modified/Managed Southern Tall Grassland Summer and winter.
- Mississippi Sound Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- Temperate Pacific Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh Summer and winter.
- North American Arid West Emergent Marsh Summer and winter.
- Temperate Pacific Freshwater Emergent Marsh Summer and winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Interdunal Swale Wetland Summer and winter.
- Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Montane Fen Summer and winter.
- Mediterranean California Subalpine-Montane Fen Summer and winter.
- Mediterranean California Serpentine Fen Summer and winter.
- Texas Saline Coastal Prairie Summer and winter.
- Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow, Prairie, and Marsh Summer and winter.
- Rocky Mountain Alpine-Montane Wet Meadow Summer and winter.
- Temperate Pacific Montane Wet Meadow Summer and winter.
- Chihuahuan-Sonoran Desert Bottomland and Swale Grassland Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Depressional Wetland Systems Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Open Freshwater Depression Wetland Summer and winter.
- Northern California Claypan Vernal Pool Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Closed Depression Wetland Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Saline Depression Wetland Summer and winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Alkaline Closed Depression Summer and winter.
- California Central Valley Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat Summer and winter.
- Rocky Mountain Montane Riparian Systems Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer and winter.
- Tamaulipan Floodplain Summer and winter.
- Eastern Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer and winter.
- Tamaulipan Riparian Systems Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Floodplain Summer and winter.
- Edwards Plateau Riparian Summer and winter.
- Great Basin Foothill and Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Montane Riparian Woodland Summer and winter.
- North American Warm Desert Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
- North American Warm Desert Riparian Mesquite Bosque Summer and winter.
- North American Warm Desert Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Mediterranean California Serpentine Foothill and Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Seep Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Mediterranean California Foothill and Lower Montane Riparian Woodland Summer and winter.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Slough Summer and winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Riparian Systems Summer and winter.
- North American Warm Desert Riparian Systems Summer and winter.
- Ozark-Ouachita Riparian Summer and winter.
Seasons in Louisiana
- Year-round: nests here, in 45 of 64 parishes.
Also found in this habitat
Plants 417
Plants named in NatureServe descriptions of these habitats that grow in Louisiana. Shared habitat, not food.
- Snow-on-the-prairieEuphorbia bicolor
- Carolina BuckthornFrangula caroliniana
- Green AshFraxinus pennsylvanica
- American Witch-hazelHamamelis virginiana
- St. Andrew's-crossHypericum hypericoides
- American HollyIlex opaca
- Beach Morning-gloryIpomoea imperati
- Ipomoea pes-capraeIpomoea pes-caprae
- Virginia SweetspireItea virginica
- Juniperus virginiana var. virginianaJuniperus virginiana var. virginiana
- PondberryLindera melissifolia
- Southern MagnoliaMagnolia grandiflora
- Swamp TupeloNyssa biflora
- BlackgumNyssa sylvatica
- Beach Evening-primroseOenothera drummondii
- Bitter PanicgrassPanicum amarum
- Drummond's NailwortParonychia drummondii
- Virginia CreeperParthenocissus quinquefolia
- Gulfdune PaspalumPaspalum monostachyum
- Swamp CottonwoodPopulus heterophylla
- Spiked MedusaPteroglossaspis ecristata
- White OakQuercus alba
- Southern Red OakQuercus falcata
- Darlington OakQuercus hemisphaerica
Wildlife 280
Other animals whose habitat models include the same habitats in Louisiana. Not sighting records.
- Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticorax
- Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagica
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- Cooper's HawkAccipiter cooperii
- Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus
- Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis
- Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
- Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus
- Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatus
- Turkey VultureCathartes aura
- Yellow-breasted ChatIcteria virens
- Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota
- Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Henslow's SparrowAmmodramus henslowii
- Savannah SparrowPasserculus sandwichensis
- Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor
- American GoldfinchCarduelis tristis
- American KestrelFalco sparverius
- American RobinTurdus migratorius
- Mourning DoveZenaida macroura
- Northern FlickerColaptes auratus
- Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos
NatureServe Explorer, CC BY 4.0. USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP winter habitat model for Great-tailed Grackle Elevation 0 to 2,400 m
- USGS Gap Analysis Project range maps (2001), modeled by watershed; migratory gives no dates
- NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0), habitat names
- US Census TIGER/Line counties
- Names follow the USGS Gap Analysis Project (2001)









































