Common Grackle
Common Grackle has collapsed: down 81% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Common Grackle
A long-tailed, iridescent blackbird of farmland, towns and wetlands, the Common Grackle gathers in large, noisy flocks outside the breeding season.
- Size
- 11–13.5 in long, about 4.1 oz (28–34 cm, 115 g)
- Habitat
- A broad range of open and wooded habitats, often near people.
- Diet
- An omnivore — grain, seeds, insects and small animals.
- Range
- Recorded on 3,103 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 44 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Icteridae · Generalists
- Conservation
- Declining
Notable Common Grackle TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
Common Grackle has collapsed in surveyed states: down 81% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Common Grackle Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Common Grackle is projected to fall about 73% by 2029 — from 14 in 2024 to a central estimate of 3.9 (95% range 0.00–14). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±41%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Common Grackle Is Detected
BBS routes recording Common Grackle, sized by most recent count.
Common Grackle Population Trend by State
Common Grackle Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Common Grackle Conservation Status
Declining
Long-term surveys document a steep, sustained decline for this species, a recognized conservation concern. Our route-weighted index shows it down about 81% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.