365 Urban Species. #254: Great-tailed Grackle

[urbpan]

Female great-tailed grackle. Location: outside Jo's, Congress Ave., Austin.

Urban species #254: Great-tailed grackle Quiscalus mexicanus

The great-tailed grackle is a relative newcomer to cities in the United States. Before the twentieth century, this bird was rarely found north of Mexico, but during the past hundred years it has become the dominant urban bird in many places. Each year it expands it's range to new places in North America. In Austin it rules the city bird niche in much the same way as the starling does in northeastern cities, or the way crows and gulls do in the northwest. Grackles are omnivorous birds, happy to eat fallen crumbs at restaurant patios or fruit from ornamental trees and shrubs. They will prey on small urban animals, such as lizards and insects, or pick at morsels in dumpsters. Like many related blackbirds, great-tailed grackles are quite comfortable near water, and will get their feet wet to hunt aquatic invertebrates.

The male great-tailed grackle's song is an amazing array of metallic and electronic noises. When I first encountered this bird, in a residential neighborhood of Las Vegas, I assumed I was hearing an escaped parrot. Then when I encountered one perched and chattering in the landscaping at the Luxor hotel pool, I thought perhaps it was an escaped myna. (I was delighted to learn that it was simply the common urban bird of the area.) Like mockingbirds, great-tailed grackles will sing at night, which may not endear them to some city residents. Hopefully more urban people will learn to appreciate these birds, as they may be coming to a city near you, soon.


Male great tailed grackle. Many of the individuals we saw, like this one, were molting, and had patchy plumage, especially at the neck. Location: Zilker Park, Austin.




At the Austin Science and Nature Center, there is a pond with fish and turtles in it, with a vending machine that dispenses kibble to feed to these animals. The grackles converge when a person buys some fish food, and catch dropped kibbles, and even race the fish and turtles to pick up food floating in the pond. The grackle is to my right, on the railing, in front of the vending machine. Photo by cottonmanifesto


This female was waiting down at the pond, for fish food to come her way. Photo by cottonmanifesto

Comments

[hai-kah-uhk.livejournal.com]

Grackle! Graaaak!

[fledchen.livejournal.com]

I didn't know grackles were mimics. The only sounds I've ever heard the ones around here (common grackle) make sounded pretty much like "grackle!"

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I realize I gave the impression they are mimics, but they really aren't. The parrotlike, "electronic and mechanical" sounds they make are all their own unique racket. (Unlike, say, starlings, which are known to imitate ring tones, and mockingbirds which imitate everything from crickets to frogs to birds to car alarrms.)

[bunrab.livejournal.com]

I've always thought their main call sounds like "Beaver!!! Cleaver!!!"

[jenhime.livejournal.com]

Most people seem to think of grackles as maajor nuisances. Cities in Texas often come up with "grackle removal" plans when the flocks get too big in any particular place. Even still, they are one of my favorite types of birds -- especially when it comes to just watching their bird-y antics around my chickens.

[spocks-girl.livejournal.com]

Grackles are nifty birds, but man, they can empty a bird feeder in literally half an hour. We finally had to get an exclusion cage for our feeder to give the other birds a chance.

[nmsunbear.livejournal.com]

I love thse birds. In Albuquerque I see them most often in large parking lots, where they really liven up the place with their wonderful calls. The first bird I learned to recognize here that I'd never seen in Illinois. (It was a while before I saw a wild roadrunner, though now there seem to be several pairs in my neighborhood.)

[medusasowl.livejournal.com]

We have lots of them in Phoenix! Cute lil buggers, and I love the way they hop/run. :)

[gucci-purses.livejournal.com]

good

[markurock.livejournal.com]

Hey man, THANX A TON! I saw these guys when I was in Dallas back in July, and no one could tell me what kind of bird they were... you are the man! I looked in a couple of bird encyclopedias, but to no avail, then today... here they are! WOW!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bazilisk_/]

I love the males' song. When I first heard it I was in Mexico, convinced that it was some exquisite rare tropical bird...no, it's all over the place in the SW US. Birds that use an array of sounds are far more interesting than the just-plain-repetitive ones. I wonder what the advantage is, though...

[candent.livejournal.com]

They are really very interesting to watch as they feed. They work every niche of the backyard; lawn, shrubs, flower bed... everything.

Grackles

[(Anonymous)]

There is not much funnier than a big male grackle in molting season. They preen and they strut--with no tail feathers. Ridiculous.
They're beautiful and amusing, but roosting flocks can create a huge mess and a health hazard from all the droppings. Now that we've got West Nile (and in some places histoplasmosis), large colonies really are unwelcome. In our area, they flock with starlings in flocks of thousands, and the combined noise and mess is like something out of a Hitchcock film.

Monique Reed, College Station, TX

[momomom.livejournal.com]

If you have time, will you look at this http://momomom.livejournal.com/99528.html and tell me if you think it is a grackle. The link I have there besides you is for a partial albino grackle and it do look like my little gal!

Gackle Sounds and Calls

[(Anonymous)]

We live in Phoenix near Thunderbird Park. We have a lot of the Great Tailed Grackles in our apartment complex. However, we have one bird in particular that we have seen several times mimicking a raptor call. While the other birds scatter this one comes in and claims the food.

I have one

[agirlandabird.livejournal.com]

I found one that had fallen out of her palm tree nest there was no way to put her back so I took her home. Her feet don't work so I can't release her. She is still a juvenile her eyes a still brown and she won't feed on her own. If I take her to a rehab center I've been told they will put her down. I had no intentions of keeping her. I am in poor health and she NEVER SHUTS UP! Any suggestions?

Re: I have one

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

It sounds like you have been given little choice. The best thing might be to take her to the rehabber--even if they euthanize her, it will be a more peaceful departure than dying from not eating or from aspirating food.

Good luck.