March 23, 2009 - Grackle mating dance.
March 5, 2009 - The big boys are back!
While we had had occasional visits from a stray blackbird or two
since last fall and through the winter, the group is
settling back in for the comfort of home stuffed feeders.
Grackles and red-winged blackbirds seen from the ground
level through our Wingscapes camera (motion activated) show
just how intimidating these larger birds can seem to small,
shyer little birds. As a few days passed and the
number of large black birds increased, the smaller birds got
just a little bit bolder (and I'm sure hungrier) and decided
to bravely pursue the ground food anyway.
We continued the practice of last year
by keeping a large feeder with two spill over trays filled
with regular bird seed set a distance away. This year
we have even added cracked corn. Seems to be a great
hit among these large fellows- and the price is just that-
chicken feed.
November 12, 2008 -
In the Northeast we're having some winter-like changes in our
weather. The gusty winds seem to have blown in some strange doings
in our backyard today:
First we saw a common grackle- unusual enough since he is a summer
bird in our area. Admittedly we did see several grackles in mid
October, but they ceased to be part of the regular yard gang the
first week of August. This particular grackle was dragging one
wing.
But he had no apparent trouble snatching corn that had dropped to the ground
from tray feeders. When startled by a bossy blue jay, the grackle
easily flew to a tree branch. A few of his friends wandered
around under the outer feeders feasting on the overboard, easy
pickin's. After several hours, the grackles moved on, taking their
wing-challenged brother with them.
The grackle is a large black bird that looks his best in sunshine.
He has a purplish-brown body with a stunning iridescent blue-black head.
On a cloudy day or near sunset he is easily distinguished in a group of
blackbirds by his noticeable yellow eyes. He is smaller than crows
but larger than the rest of his blackbird buddies.
A very intelligent and adaptive bird, few feeders are above the
grackles ability to master. We've watched one make several
attempts to eat from a feeder clearly intended for much smaller birds.
He stopped, stepped back, cocked his head to study and rethink his next
step. By the fourth try he had briefly succeeded in pulling out
some food. Just a little more practice and he could stay to eat as
long as he wanted.
The most amazing thing about this procedure is that what one bird has
mastered is now just as easy for the other grackles. They all took turns
using only the procedure the teacher had perfected. Obviously, the
feeder challenge game is a spectator sport. The grackle seems just
as capable of learning by doing and as by being shown.
We now had a problem. It didn't seem that the grackle was
physically aggressive towards the smaller birds at their feeders, but
his mere presence drove them away. Removing the feeders meant for the
larger birds and not spreading corn on the ground was not one of our
finer ideas. Instead of sending grackles further afield, it made
them even more desperate to feed from smaller feeders.
Food Guy had a new plan! In an area somewhat removed from our
original feeders, he mounted a post topped with the largest feeder we
had and added two side brackets with hanging flat trays. Here we
placed regular bird seed and corn mixes. Of course, this was the
obvious answer. Every birdy's happy!
If the release of the small bird feeders wasn't enough, the squirrels
(red and gray), chipmunks, and woodchucks also became happy patrons of
this new cafeteria.
There was even the bonus of less mess in the main part of our yard.
Everybody wins!
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Size:
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Length: 11-13.5in
Weight: 4 oz
Wingspan: 17 in
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ID:
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Male: Large black bird; iridescent purplish blue head, neck
and breast; brownish purple body; bright yellow eyes; long
black keel-shaped tail; long, thin beak (larger muscles in lower
jaw to open
mouth to help pry crevices apart to find insects); black feet
anisodactylous (three toes point forward and one toe points
backward)
Female: Smaller and duller than males
Juvenile: Dark brown with brown
eyes
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Habitat:
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Open fields, marshes, city parks, farmland
and suburban areas
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Diet:
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Walks to feed on ground; insects, seed, grains, eggs,
fledglings and mice; visits feeders for seed, corn and can adapt
itself to any feeder or food available (opportunistic feeder)
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Family Behavior:
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Mating Habits: Monogamous (some males polygynous); colonial;
male displays by drooping wings, singing, ruffling shoulder
feathers to make a collar and by flying with tail held in v
formation; 1-2 broods per year
Nests: Female builds bulky nest of twigs, grass, reeds with
lining of mud, feathers and grasses; placed in shrub or tree or
under eaves
Eggs: 4-7 pale greenish brown with brown and lilac markings;
female incubates 12-14 days
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless, naked, eyes closed) and
stay in nest 16-21 days; fed by both parents
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Social Activities:
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Joins huge, mixed blackbird flocks for
winter roosting
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Range:
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Canada and east of the Rockies in US;
migrates to southern states
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Vocalization:
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Song unmusical, squeaky kh-sheee like a creaky, rusty hinge;
call a bold chack or kek
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Lifespan: |
Up to 20 years |
