Nicaraguan grackle

Nicaraguan grackle
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Icteridae
Genus:	Quiscalus
Species:	Q. nicaraguensis
Binomial name
Quiscalus nicaraguensis Salvin & Godman, 1891

The Nicaraguan grackle (Quiscalus nicaraguensis) is a species of passerine bird belonging to the genus Quiscalus, a genus of grackles in the New World blackbird family, Icteridae. It is found only in Nicaragua and northernmost Costa Rica.

Description

It is a medium-sized bird with a long, graduated tail and fairly long

are dark brown, while the rest of the underparts are buff, darkest on the upper breast, and paler on the throat and belly.

The similar great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) overlaps with it in range, but is larger, with a longer tail and larger bill. The male has a less green gloss than the Nicaraguan grackle, while the female is darker below and has a less obvious supercilium.

The Nicaraguan grackle has a variety of calls, including a frequent nasal call, various whistling notes, and a sharp, rising whine. The

is a series of whistles, which increase in speed and frequency.

Distribution and habitat

It is restricted to western Nicaragua and northern Costa Rica. It mainly occurs in the vicinity of Lake Nicaragua and Lake Managua, but its range has expanded a little due to the clearance of forest and creation of pastures by man. It may be a fairly recent arrival in Costa Rica, where it is found in the Caño Negro area along the Río Frio. It is not migratory, but makes some local movements in response to seasons and changes in water level.

It nests only in

, wet pastures, and along lake shores and riverbanks.

Behaviour

It feeds in small groups, foraging on the ground for seeds and insects. It turns over stones or debris to look for food underneath, and often forages on or around cattle.

It nests in small

the eggs, but both sexes are involved in feeding the young.

References

• Garrigues, Richard & Dean, Robert (2007) Birds of Costa Rica, Christopher Helm, London.
• Jaramillo, Alvaro & Burke, Peter (1999) New World Blackbirds: the Icterids, Christopher Helm, London.
• Ridgely, Robert S. & Gwynne, John A., Jr. (1989) A Guide to the Birds of Panama with Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras, Princeton University Press.

External links

Wikispecies has information related to Quiscalus nicaraguensis.

Media related to Quiscalus nicaraguensis at Wikimedia Commons

• Xeno-canto: recording of Nicaraguan grackle calls
• Photo of Nicaraguan grackle