The Grackles Are Back

It’s been several years since massive flocks of grackles have visited our farm, as they once regularly did. Although grackles remain among North Americas most abundant birds, scientists have identified the common grackle among 33 bird species in steep decline. Birds with this designation have lost at least half their total population since surveys began.

So my husband Allan and I were amazed and delighted when we woke up one recent morning to the raspy chatter of hundreds of grackles in the woods behind our house. They moved in waves from treetop to treetop, and then in a mighty whoosh, they flew off.

Common grackles (Quiscalus quiscula) are a type of blackbird, and they look black from a distance. But a close look reveals these 11 to 13 inch birds have purplish heads and bronze bodies. Indeed, they are often called bronzed grackles.

The bronzed subspecies inhabits areas between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains, and also New England. It is distinct from the purple subspecies known east of the Appalachians.

Unlike chickens, grackles don’t scratch when they forage. They land en masse in a field, spend a few minutes strutting around and pecking weed seeds. Then, just as suddenly as they came, they move on. The collective whir of their stiff wing beats makes a loud and distinctive sound.

Farmers who grow corn, rice, sunflowers, and other crops relished by these birds consider foraging grackle flocks to be agricultural pests. Lethal measures used to minimize crop damage have contributed to the birds’ rapid decline. But on our farm we’re happy to see bronzed grackles once again, and they are welcome to eat all the weed seeds they can find.