New World Blackbirds (Icteridae)
Carib Grackle (Quiscalus lugubris) - HBW 16, p. 779
French: Quiscale merle
German: Trauergrackel
Spanish: Zanate Caribeño
Other common names: Lesser Antillean Grackle; Barbados Grackle (“fortirostris group”)
Taxonomy: Quiscalus lugubris Swainson, 1838, Guyana.
Formerly placed with Q. niger in a separate genus, Holoquiscalus; thought to be closest to that species, but recent analysis of mitochondrial DNA indicates closer relationship with Q. nicaraguensis than with other members of genus. Races form two groups, “fortirostris group” (including contrusus), with blackish-brown females, and “lugubris group” (remaining six races), with paler brownish females; sometimes thought to represent two separate species, but darkness of females evidently variable. Further, a molecular-genetic (mtDNA) comparison of s.. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: Quiscalus lugubris Swainson, 1838, Guyana.
Formerly placed with Q. niger in a separate genus, Holoquiscalus; thought to be closest to that species, but recent analysis of mitochondrial DNA indicates closer relationship with Q. nicaraguensis than with other members of genus. Races form two groups, “fortirostris group” (including contrusus), with blackish-brown females, and “lugubris group” (remaining six races), with paler brownish females; sometimes thought to represent two separate species, but darkness of females evidently variable. Further, a molecular-genetic (mtDNA) comparison of some mainland races with some island ones showed sequence divergence of 3·9%, indicating prolonged isolation, but many island races were not examined; mtDNA from two individuals from Barbados resembled that of distant Trinidad individuals, perhaps reflecting human introduction. More information on all races required. Proposed race dispar (described from Kingstown, on St Vincent) refers to occasional vagrants of fortirostris. Eight subspecies recognized.
Formerly placed with Q. niger in a separate genus, Holoquiscalus; thought to be closest to that species, but recent analysis of mitochondrial DNA indicates closer relationship with Q. nicaraguensis than with other members of genus. Races form two groups, “fortirostris group” (including contrusus), with blackish-brown females, and “lugubris group” (remaining six races), with paler brownish females; sometimes thought to represent two separate species, but darkness of females evidently variable. Further, a molecular-genetic (mtDNA) comparison of some mainland races with some island ones showed sequence divergence of 3·9%, indicating prolonged isolation, but many island races were not examined; mtDNA from two individuals from Barbados resembled that of distant Trinidad individuals, perhaps reflecting human introduction. More information on all races required. Proposed race dispar (described from Kingstown, on St Vincent) refers to occasional vagrants of fortirostris. Eight subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- guadeloupensis Lawrence, 1879 - NC Lesser Antilles (Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Marie Galante, Dominica and Martinique).
- inflexirostris Swainson, 1838 - St Lucia, in C Lesser Antilles.
- contrusus (J. L. Peters, 1925) - St Vincent, in S Lesser Antilles.
- guadeloupensis Lawrence, 1879 - NC Lesser Antilles (Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Marie Galante, Dominica and Martinique).
- inflexirostris Swainson, 1838 - St Lucia, in C Lesser Antilles.
- contrusus (J. L. Peters, 1925) - St Vincent, in S Lesser Antilles.
- fortirostris Lawrence, 1868 - Barbados, in S Lesser Antilles.
- luminosus Lawrence, 1878 - the Grenadines and Grenada (S Lesser Antilles) and Los Testigos (off NE Venezuela).
- orquillensis (Cory, 1909) - Los Hermanos, off N Venezuela.
- insularis Richmond, 1896 - Margarita I and Los Frailes, off NE Venezuela.
- lugubris Swainson, 1838 - mainland Venezuela (S to middle and lower R Orinoco), NE Colombia (Orinoco basin in Arauca and Vichada), Trinidad and Tobago (possibly introduced), and E along coasts of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana to N Brazil (Amapá).
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A bird calling from a dead tree, dissapearing in it and calling once more. Locality Bigi Pan, Nickerie District, Suriname (ssp lugubris)
Pieter de Groot Boersma 17 April 2011 1 year ago 14 sec 4.3 -
A bird moving in the vegetation and looking around. Locality Caño Ajies, Turuepano National Park, Sucre State, Venezuela (ssp guianensis)
Garry George 23 December 2004 5 years ago 19 sec 4 -
Male and female foraging on the ground. This species is common in Aruba. Locality Palm Beach, Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Antonio Silveira 16 May 2012 48 weeks ago 42 sec 4 -
Males, a group foraging Locality Caroni Swamp, Caroni, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago (ssp lugubris)
Joe Angseesing 24 October 2006 4 years ago 24 sec 4 -
Male singing in a flock about 12 individuals, males and females. Locality Malmok, Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Antonio Silveira 24 May 2012 6 weeks ago 21 sec 3.7 -
A bird perched on some vegetation in the evening. Locality Boyacá Department, Colombia (ssp lugubris)
Keith Blomerley 31 October 2012 16 weeks ago 18 sec 3.6 -
Male juvenile perched then flying. Locality Marigot Bay, Saint Lucia (ssp inflexirostris)
Joe Angseesing 3 November 2005 4 years ago 6 sec 3.3 -
Male, foraging on grass and adjacent rocky shore Locality Waterloo, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago (ssp lugubris)
Joe Angseesing 24 October 2006 4 years ago 19 sec 3.3 -
A male singing and displaying in front of a female, the female ignoring him and feeding Locality Hato El Cedral, Apure State, Venezuela (ssp lugubris)
David Fisher 23 March 2006 6 years ago 38 sec 3.3 -
A bird in a dead tree, eventually flying away. Locality Bigi Pan, Nickerie District, Suriname (ssp lugubris)
Pieter de Groot Boersma 17 April 2011 1 year ago 16 sec 3.3 -
Female and male on the top of a tree Locality Villavicencio, Meta Department, Colombia
mauricio rueda 1 year ago 13 sec 3 -
A male on a dead tree in the water, calling once and flying away. Locality Bigi Pan, Nickerie District, Suriname (ssp lugubris)
Pieter de Groot Boersma 17 April 2011 1 year ago 14 sec 3 -
An Adult looking for food on the beach Locality Chichiriviche, Falcón State, Venezuela
Ferran Vaquero 3 July 2010 2 years ago 15 sec 3 -
Females, walking rapidly, standing, then flying. Locality Marigot Bay, Saint Lucia (ssp inflexirostris)
Joe Angseesing 2 November 2005 4 years ago 29 sec 3 -
A shaky view of a bird in a fallen dead tree in a lake. Locality Bigi Pan, Nickerie District, Suriname (ssp lugubris)
Pieter de Groot Boersma 17 April 2011 1 year ago 8 sec 2 -
A very distant view of three birds in a dead tree. Locality Weg naar Zee, Paramaribo, Paramaribo District, Suriname (ssp lugubris)
Pieter de Groot Boersma 26 March 2011 1 year ago 23 sec 2
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