Skip to content

Great-tailed Grackle Is Now Known from 44 of Arkansas’s 75 Counties

A great-tailed grackle with glossy dark plumage and a long tail
Research · Ecology

Great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) is now documented from 44 of Arkansas’s 75 counties, mostly in western and central parts of the state. A 2026 review traces the species from the first Arkansas record in 1969 to confirmed breeding and year-round populations in several regions.

The 44-county total describes documented occurrence, not 44 established resident populations. The project used vetted citizen-science records, including ARbird and eBird, together with historical records to update the known distribution and breeding status.

Breeding became established in several parts of Arkansas

The first state record came from southwestern Arkansas in 1969. Nesting was documented there in 1977, and a resident population was established by 1980. Nesting was then reported in far northwestern Arkansas in 1986.

Breeding and resident populations are now reported in southwestern, northwestern and central Arkansas, particularly in urban areas. The pattern therefore reflects establishment in more than one part of the state rather than a single population simply spreading outward from one original locality.

Most reports occur in April and May

Although resident populations are established in several regions, most Arkansas reports occur in April and May. The authors therefore conclude that many of the birds recorded in the state are probably migratory.

The statewide record consequently combines two patterns: seasonal birds passing through or appearing during spring, and locally established birds that remain and breed through the year.

Urban areas and highways may have supported expansion

Great-tailed grackles are commonly reported around fast-food establishments and truck stops, where they exploit discarded food. The authors believe major roads may have helped the species disperse through Arkansas and establish in urban areas.

This highway-and-urban explanation is an interpretation of the geographic pattern rather than an experimentally tested mechanism. The strongest documented result is the change in state status itself: from one Arkansas record in 1969 to occurrence in 44 counties, with confirmed breeding and resident populations in several regions little more than half a century later.

Sources and image credit

  1. History and Distribution of Great-tailed Grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus) in ArkansasJournal of the Arkansas Academy of Science article made available 25 June 2026. Reports the chronology of colonization, occurrence in 44 of 75 counties, seasonal reporting pattern, breeding and resident populations, urban association and likely highway-linked dispersal.
  2. 2025 Arkansas Academy of Science AbstractsConference abstract by Valerie Andersen and Renn Tumlison describing the use of vetted citizen-science records from ARBird and eBird to update distribution and breeding in Arkansas.

Image: A great-tailed grackle with glossy dark plumage and a long tail. Photo: Melissa McMasters / Wikimedia Commons. Representative image for this story; not presented as an animal or scene from the reported study or event. · CC BY 2.0 · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

Ecology

SPECIES IN THIS STORY

Species in this story

Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Explore species

Independent research and conservation news archive

Did you find this information useful?

Wildlife Vagabond is independently built and maintained. Voluntary support helps cover source verification, hosting and continued work on research and conservation news.

Support Wildlife Vagabond

The news archive will remain freely available.