Adult male. Photo: Tammy Pick/Audubon Photography Awards
Quiscalus major
| Conservation status | Very common within its range; has extended its breeding range northward on Atlantic Coast in recent decades. |
|---|---|
| Family | Blackbirds and Orioles |
| Habitat | Marshes, beaches, areas near coast; also inland in Florida. Almost always near water and very close to coast, in marshes, flooded fields, mudflats. Sometimes forages in drier fields in coastal regions. Occurs well inland in Florida, but generally near marshes and lakes. |
Forages mostly near water, by walking on shore or in shallow water, catching items with rapid thrusts of its bill. Sometimes steals food from larger birds. Will enter heron colonies to feed on unguarded eggs.
Usually 2-4. Pale greenish blue, irregularly marked with brown, gray, and black. Incubation is by female only, about 13-15 days. Young: Fed by female only. Young leave the nest about 12-15 days after hatching.
Fed by female only. Young leave the nest about 12-15 days after hatching.
Omnivorous. Much of diet is taken from water, including many aquatic insects, snails, crayfish, crabs, mussels, shrimp, tadpoles, frogs, and small fish. Also eats land insects (including grasshoppers and caterpillars), eggs and young of other birds. Seeds and grain important in diet at some seasons.
Nests in colonies. In courtship and territorial display, male perches in the open, fluffs out feathers, spreads tail, and rapidly flutters wings above back while making a variety of harsh and rattling calls. Also postures with bill pointed straight up, especially when threatening another bird. Several males may display together. Both males and females often promiscuous. Nest site is usually near water: in cattails, sawgrass, or bulrushes, in bushes or saplings at edge of marsh, or in taller trees. Generally less than 12' above ground or water, but can be much higher. Nest (built by female) is large, bulky cup of twigs, grass, weeds, bulrushes, Spanish moss, or other available materials, often with mud added to base; lined with fine grass.
Audubon’s scientists have used 140 million bird observations and sophisticated climate models to project how climate change will affect this bird’s range in the future.
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Few species are as polarizing as these urbanites, but one thing is indisputable: Their ubiquity is a sign of their adaptability and success.
Location: Buena Vista Vision Center, 3777 Broadway, New York, NY 10031
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