Grackle—the Obnoxious Bird with a Good Side
How I attained peace with the ever present grackles in my yard
Grackles have a well earned reputation for being unpleasant to have around. They are noisy. gregarious, and a general nuisance. When I first moved into this house, the hackberry trees in the backyard were so dense that grackles found it a perfect nursery grove. Oh what noise they made when mating and nesting season arrived!
Show-Offs with Style
I have to admit, though, that male grackles are quite handsome, with their glossy black feathers and striking yellow eyes. They are also entertaining at times. For example, they can imitate the sound of a lightning strike while rapidly fluttering their wings, a mating display meant to impress the ladies. It's amusing to watch them put on such a production when the female in question is so often gathering nesting materials. She's obviously not on the market, having mated already.
Then there are the male tribal rituals, where the alpha male will subdue and actually sit on his subordinates to clarify the pecking order. Makes me laugh to think about it.
Nest Defenders and Caretakers
Grackles also have a surprisingly loving side. Males participate in raising the young, helping with feeding if not incubation. And they will aggressively defend the nest. I've seen groups of male grackles chase large hawks away from the nursery grove.
One year, while the grackle nursery was still going strong, a pair of cardinals nested in one of the grove's hackberry trees. I was out under the trees one day, when a grackle and the male cardinal settled on a tree and faced my direction. They weren't looking at me, I discovered. Over my head, a blue jay, notorious for stealing eggs, was lurking. The grackle and cardinal hardly noticed I was there. Nesting so close to loud, protective neighbors gave the cardinals a safety advantage.
Persistent Little Tyrants
The worst part of having a grackle nursery on my property was the fledgling period. Grackle moms are ferocious when they have a babe on the ground. I could be at the other end of the yard paying no attention to the young bird, and the mom would constantly make loud chirps. This would not stop until the fledgling managed to get itself out of my range, or I went inside. The moms never swooped me, but to my sensitive ears, the constant noise was overwhelming. Birds are loud for a reason - they communicate over wide ranges - but give me a break!
When the hackberry tree was cut down (see this post), the stand was deemed no longer suitable for a full group nursery, and the grackles left. I have to admit I'm relieved they no longer use my backyard as a nursery, mostly because of those aggressive moms.
I can still hear grackles in the neighborhood, and now I can appreciate them more. Even their calls can be pleasant when the world is still in the dead of winter. And, of course, they’re still funny.
