Detailed information on Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)

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boxwood4

Rancocas, NJ | July 2018 | Positive

We only see a few at a time he in Rancocas, NJ. They come to pond for water and get bugs then go on I guess. Our big problem with aggressors are robins.

They're messy, harass the smaller birds, fight with each other, ruin our fruits...flocks come in spring and bombard our cabin in back, deck, and umbrellas. A lot of clean up work for us.

A few stay all year. Seems that a few aren't a problem of grackles or robins but just flocks.

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walterp

Clark, NJ | July 2018 | Negative

I dread the spring flocks of them coming up from the south where a small group will stay here through the fall to raise their young. I enjoy the songbirds that migrate through. and love the ones that stay. I provide plenty of the right food, fresh clean water and trees and shrubs for shelter.
I find, when that small group of grackles who decide to stay, most pair up and mate. I always see a group of about of six "bachelors" that aggressively scout for food, harass the other birds for the "nesters" until the "nesters" chicks are old enough to fend for themselves. I've seen the adults bring the chicks to the robin's second nesting to raid their nest. I hate them!
My three worst birds that raid the feeder are crackles, doves and pigeons.

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anniegolden

Dover, DE | July 2018 | Neutral

I have a handful of grackles in my central Delaware small residential yard almost every day, hopping around on the lawn. I don't put out bird feeders, and don't have a bird bath. Frequently, there are grackles on the ground at the same time as robins. I have never witnessed any aggression. They seem to have not driven away the other birds, and I see and hear cardinals, blue jays, mourning doves, fish crows, catbirds and woodpeckers regularly. Occasionally, owls and hawks. Rarely, treecreepers.

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azsilvia

Tempe, AZ (Zone 9b) | March 2016 | Neutral

Very common in my area and they are permanent residents year around. They roost in great numbers in the largest trees in the city and their obnoxious calls can be deafening if you are nearby. You would be very unlucky if you had one of these roosting trees in your yard! If you have a water source in your yard they will come. They will also dunk their culinary finds into the water to soften before eating and will jealously guard their treasure before eating it. This behavior makes a mess of bird baths, leaving bread crumbs or grease from the neighbor's dog food. Grackles love water and are smart enough to know that when yards are watered or it rains insects and worms come to the soil surface and they feast. You will see them wade through shallow water as they comb the lawn for tasty mo... read more

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tlm1

Jacksonville, FL (Zone 9a) | July 2012 | Negative

I would have to echo what hydey said. They are a nuisance, and a bully at our feeders, and baths. I find nothing beautiful about them. The voice is grating, kind of grackley! Name fits!

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hydey6

Corunna, IN | April 2012 | Negative

This bird is nothing but a nusiance. They are aggressive to the other birds and even run off the blue jays. I only have 5 or 6 of them hanging around and that is too many! I'm not feeding birds to watch this one bully the others...if there was a way to get rid of them I certainly would.

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SaberLily

Winchester, VA (Zone 7a) | June 2010 | Neutral

Grackles are omnivores: I have seen them crowd out other native species at the feeder (even other birds with aggressive reputations) and attack nesting robins (also a native species).

On the upside, grackles eat a lot of insect pests, and they are aesthetically-stunning birds (even if their song is grating). But if you don't want to deal with them, changing your bird feed to seed mixes they don't care for is an easy and effective way to discourage them.

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echohotel12

Jonesborough, TN | March 2010 | Neutral

This past fall, when there was a flock of several hundred migrating through our area, there was one in the group that had white wings.

He stood out like a sore thumb.

The only one that I have seen like this in all of my years.

Has any one else witnessed this in them?

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plantladylin

(Zone 1) | February 2010 | Neutral

The Common Grackle is a permanent resident in my area and although I keep a few feeders full year round, we only see large flocks of these birds during the winter months. Their presence is sporadic at other times of the year. They are extremely loud and do raid the feeders but the other birds in my yard don't seem intimidated by them.

I've never known or heard of the Common Grackle eating the eggs of other birds and am wondering if LadyPearl is perhaps seeing the American Crow in her area, which indeed is known to eat eggs as well as young birds!

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EROCTUSE2

Belleville, MI (Zone 5b) | April 2009 | Positive

An incredibly intelligent bird, native to America, that seems to (unjustifiably) offend many backyard bird feeders. They can be territorial and hungry, and they can form large flocks, but have a right to their place. They've lived here much longer than we have.

They're some of the most beautiful birds this birder has seen, but you know what they say about beauty.

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ccove

West Islip, NY (Zone 6b) | March 2009 | Negative

These birds are like the horde. They decend on my feeders and wipe it out.

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Gazoodles

Iowa Park, TX (Zone 7b) | January 2009 | Negative

I saw a pair of grackles attack nesting robins and drive them off the nest. The grackles then ate the robin eggs. They eat up the grain I put out for my chickens and eat up seed put out for the song birds. There seems to be an over population of these birds here in Texas.

Common Grackle

Quiscalus quiscula

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