Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major) | Text

Boat-tailed Grackle Quiscalus major

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Justification

Justification of Red List category
This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (extent of occurrence <20,000 km² combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Trend justification
This species has undergone a large and statistically significant increase over the last 40 years in North America (56.3% increase over 30 years, equating to a 16% increase per decade; data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and.

Distribution and population

This species has a large range, with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 200,000 km². It has a large global population estimated to be 3,700,000 individuals (Rich et al. 2003). Global population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Acknowledgements

Text account compilers
Ekstrom, J., Butchart, S. & Symes, A.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Species factsheet: Boat-tailed Grackle Quiscalus major. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/boat-tailed-grackle-quiscalus-major on 05/01/2025.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2025) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 05/01/2025.