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Keywords

Great-tailed Grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus, Arkansas, bird distribution, range expansion

Abstract

Great-tailed Grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus) were reported first in southwestern Arkansas in 1969, were nesting there in 1977, and established a resident population by 1980. Nesting was reported in far northwestern Arkansas in 1986. Presently, the species is known from 44 of Arkansas’s 75 counties, those mostly in the western and central counties. Most individuals appear to be migratory, with most reports occurring in April and May. However, breeding and now resident populations have been reported in the southwestern, northwestern, and central counties, particularly in urban areas. Birds are very commonly reported to forage at fast-food establishments and truck stops, where they consume discarded anthropogenic foods. Expansion of range through Arkansas is believed to be supported by dispersal along highways leading to establishment in urban areas.

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