Oh I just recently found out we have a Great-Tailed Grackle back at our school. Big bird with a very big tail. It was the same one always hanging around with another one that appears to be its mate. Cool birds.
@driewe - Ah, very cool! It's always an awesome sight to be able to catch them on camera around here, they don't visit very often. When they do though, it's great to watch them interact!
@snager80 - They might be slightly separate species, or separate sub-species, or they might just have different vocalizations in Texas... kind of interesting actually!
@snager80 That's because the grackles in North Texas are Great-Tailed Grackles, Quiscalus mexicanus, and these are merely Common Grackles, Quiscalus quiscula, which only come to N. Texas every once and a while. They're more of cold-weather birds and frequent cooler states such as the East coast.
Also, not sure if these are the same kind of Grackles we have in Nashville. I think we have Common Grackles. They seem to make a different call than these birds here, but look the same.
@p2proxtheworld - There are quite a few species of grackles, so that's probably true! I'm not sure what the exact name is for these ones (I always thought these were "Common" grackles), but I think a lot of them have the same kinds of calls and postures that other species do. DIfferent species of gulls have similar calls too, but they don't all look the same.
@Sharoyuken36 - For this video specifically, I have 2 separate cameras on ground-level tripods (home-made) and they're running cables into the house to record on a deck there. The grackles just happened to stop by where the cameras were set up, either for some food (that's what the big yellow thing is), or some water, and they just all congregated there because they heard the other ones squawking about it.
@Sharoyuken36 Judging by the stillness of the video, I think a hidden camera is being used. The change in the angles are signs that multiple camera shots are being switched. It's a common recording method in wildlife documenting.
I learned that grackles use a series of body movements and expressions to communicate. This one happens to be one of two vocal displays for territorial or mating purposes.
@vyperspit - Makes sense, they want to show that they either own the feeder project (or the water) and they reign supreme over the other birds -- or they're trying to mate with one of the other birds, but I'm not really sure when grackle mating season is.
@vinny460 - It's how they communicate with the other grackles around them - they're each trying to look "bigger" than the other ones, so they'll respect it's territory... of course, when they're *all* doing it, they're all trying to get the same territory... so they'll be there for a while - :)
@vinny460 - Yep! They're trying to be in each other's face, but looking cute while doing it - :) Gulls do something like this too - they stretch their necks out at each other, and they each try to get juuuuuust a little higher up than the last bird - :)
Wikipedia says theres Grackles all over the Southeast, but they must mean some different type of Grackles. I've only seen the noisy ones like these in South Texas.
I love their raspy voices and crazy sounds.Grackles are intelligent and affectionate with many people. They are a close relative to the Mina Bird..a domestic bird who can be taught to speak. I adopted a sun conure...they are considered to be one of the most beautiful birds in South America...they have the WORST bird voice and a horrible personality to match. Except with one person, and even then the are grumpy.
@Plantscapes - I've never heard that conures sound that bad! Interesting! I love to hear the ways grackles squawk too - they can "sing" too, but you don't hear it as often.
The ones around here make even more noise and sound like a broken squeaky toy. They also most of the time are messed up and have feathers missing. Heck I even saw one with one leg. This city sucks... XD
@JackofWhitechapel - Hehe... well, "nicer" is kinda relative - :) They are beautiful though, especially when the light hits them a certain way and their plumage really shows more prominently.
Look at these primitive little shits, puffing up in territorial display, living out meaningless existences as barely-improved reptiles. Fit to be shot on sight.
@wenaolong How can you say they are living a meaningless existence? They are living on this planet just as humans are, and birds were around long before humans. They have an evolutionary design that proved to be very successful. Far from meaningless. Seeing as you have such "spiritual"/"enlightened" remarks on your profile I find your statement quite contradictory...
@Shehzain What you find contradictory, and what really IS contradictory, are two entirely different things, for all you know. Then again, you think you are too grounded to peer into abstract realms of philosophy, no doubt, so I'll let you say things in a random sort of way when you use that word. What do you think spirituality is? Enlightenment, got a bead on that also? In any event, your reaction is something you should learn from. I actually was joking in my comment, to myself that is...
@wenaolong Are you saying that only you can determine what is contradictory? You're a walking contradiction, and anyone can see that.
As for philosophy, you do know that logic is a branch of philosophy, I hope. Something in which you are sorely lacking. Science and philosophy are not mutually exclusive. You do realize that, right? As for what to learn from this, I learned that you're an idiot. :D Have a nice day!
@wenaolong First, they are not stupid. I have birds, and work with birds, and I can tell you they are actually very intelligent. Second, that does not look like a territorial display to me. If it were territorial, it would involve either fighting or the birds flying off. It might be something related to mating, though I'm not entirely sure as far as grackles go. Third, there is nothing wrong with reptiles.Fourth, if you live in the U.S., it is illegal to kill these birds.
@asazisc Actually, I'm already aware that Grackles, like Blackbirds generally, are quite intelligent... for birds. On an evolutionary scale, they are complete 'tards, however. It is a territorial instinct to behave that way, the males do it reflexively. They have a personal, behavioral territory when going about their business. Rarely do they ever fight, for that is part of what bluffing behavior prevents, conspecific agression. I've seen them fight.
I have had Grackles fly up to my specific apartment, knock on my door (like a person would) and then beg for food. They are astonishingly intelligent.
This birds are very, very inteligent but iteligence is sinonimous of trouble (including humans)... They destroy a lot of species os bird eating your eggs... All others epicies are subdued for grackles... When they come a trouble for humans, we see many people shooting this birds with air gun... deplorable but...
They have calmed down in my backyard now and aren't making the electrocution noise anymore. So I am happy watching them yet again and it seems more and more are moving in, I like to think that since I keep the seed out and bird baths filled that they sort of picture themselves in a bird utopia. :D
@7MazinMusicVids - Awesome! I've always considered gulls my favorite birds, but grackles are one of my top favorites also! We don't get them (grackles, or gulls, actually) very often anymore, so to see one of them during the summer is very cool for me. Haven't had the chance to get any videos of them similar to this one in quite a while though.
There are one or two really obnoxious ones in my backyard that have been there for WEEKS. They puff up like in the video but their call is MUCH more obnoxious. It sounds like something being electrocuted. They also are funny because they look like they are going to explode when they puff up. :D
@grindd - I've heard that sound too, but not usually that close... hehe, I can imagine how annoying it must be to hear that *all* the time - :) They do look like they're going to explode though, don't they!
I live in south Texas where the grackles are abundant, and I always look forward to Spring when they're at their funniest. This is one of my favorites videos of them, ever. People don't believe me when I say these birds will puff up and dance in circles around females when they're trying to mate! I hope to catch the crazy dance on video one day.
@Uzumakisama - That would be awesome if you could, I've never seen the circle dance before! I can imagine them doing that though, they're such comical birds. I'm glad you like the video, I'm extremely lucky to have caught them puffing up like that so close to the camera! Sorry for the late reply, been kind of lax at responding lately - :)
How do you get rid of them? The main thing I'd suggest is to take away kinds of food they're interested in so they wouldn't want to come back - maybe you have a certain kind of seed outside that they like?
They don't take kindly to seeing they-re friends dead. They eventually get smarter after you shoot about 10 of them. Then the flock moves to a new spot, unless you happen to be be one of the people who lives beside a roost.
A lot of animals don't - gulls (at least ones near here) don't even attempt to land if there are any dead ones in the area. Much bolder birds (like the larger gulls) really don't care though...
Most of the ones here are killed my idiots driving through them... they're usually pretty hearty birds, but every once and a while you see one that got hit by someone.
I saw some of these birds just today in our trees and was wondering what they were. They were puffing up while squaking. Thanks for the vid, now I know what they are :)
Me too - that's another grackle vocalization actually, you usually here that squeeeee noise from a distance though, I've never taped it on the ground like this!
They're trying to look bigger than the other ones - kind of like egging them on... which of course makes the other ones do it, and then they all join in - :)
grackles are just like magpies- territorial, and mean to other birds. I once saw a female golden oriole sitting on a tree, (she was just sitting there on a branch, staring off into the forest)
when two magpies chased her away.
Then in the city, i saw a LOT of pigeons (it was like 15 of them) sitting on a streetlight , crapping on the sidewalk, when 1 magpie flew at them , and chased ALL of them away with a squawk.
They're parasitic birds, so they definitely do what they can to stay dominant over other bird species, but I have seen them co-habitate with other species of birds too.
@taburineagle I concur with shinseimori. Our yard (especially after a shower of rain) will be covered with Common Grackles and American Robins). Lastly, do you also hear the cedar waxwings in the background?
@XtheXendX101X - We do have cedar waxwings here, but I'm not familiar with their vocalizations - very keen observation! We don't get grackles very often here at all, which kind of conflicts with what quite a few people say (we get a lot of starlings, and robins like you said, but we only get grackles during a few months during the summer) - I have seen yards around here with 20 to 30 robins filling the yard though, so I know what you mean!
Oh just out of curiosity, where do Grackles usually live?, because I live in the valley and such, it would be neat to see one in my backyard, but that probably won't happen XD.
I'm not sure - I'm in the Northeast, but I don't get grackles that often either (one of the reasons I would make so many of these bag feeders for the birds is because they come so infrequently) - I've seen pictures of birds in New York City, grackles seem to stick around all year round there.
Grackles populate southern Texas where I live (Corpus Christi happens to be where the three species of Grackle live). They're always entertaining to watch. I can't walk down the street without running into a dozen of them! They especially love sitting in freshly mowed grass and in shallow puddles.
Come to Texas brah, we have they here all over the place. really cool bird too. Theres aren't the kind we have in texas though, we have Great Tailed Grackles. Not sure what these are.
Interesting! Apparently they (or a lot of them) come from Texas - I'm not really positive what kind of grackles these are, I've always just called them "Common", but I could be wrong.
I once saw a Grackle slaughter a baby house sparrow. He immediately flew off with it. I have to say that I have never seen that in my life, except for that one time.
I've never seen a grackle attacking baby birds in my yard (although I'm sure it happens every once and a while), but I did see a sparrow attacking it's own chick once! Very bizarre behavior, it must have been the runt of that year's (or at least that hatching's) clutch of eggs.
The reason people don't like grackles is because they take over at feeders and starve out the songbirds which the populations are on the decline. They also decimate the natural seeds anywhere they go which hurts songbirds chances of survival.
I'm not sure if "people" don't like them, or if it's just a select few. Dedicated birdwatchers that focus on songbirds might not like them because they disturb the songbird population, but so do squirrels, hawks, raccoons, crows, etc... and I personally like each and every one of those as well. Songbirds are beautiful and cool to watch, but just because of that doesn't make them the only birds worthy of hanging out on a feeder. I've never seen ill effects to our songbirds from the grackles.
Thank you for sharing the beauty of this much maligned beauty! I have never understood why people get so bent out of shape over them. They are fascinating! (and all your videos are wonderful!)
Thank you! My mother used to get worked up over them trying to take food from other birds, and it took her a while to realize that's just the way they are... they're not *bad*, it's just their natural behavior. They really are cool birds - :) Thanks for the comment, sorry I didn't post back until now!
Heh... I heard it, and I can get the "shit on the rim" part... but dropping babies - eh - that just doesn't make sense to me... :) Must be some really lazy-ass parents that just drop their dead chicks into a pool...
These eat the seed we put in a frisbee in the back yard. They are scared of the chipmunks. They fight with eachother for the seed and they scare don't let the sparrows eat near them.
What food is it? They're eating peanuts out of my Backyard Bag Feeder - it's kind of like a cushion that they need to peck at to get to the nuts inside of it. There are both shelled and unshelled peanuts in the feeder.
Question for you: how did you get so close? These birds talk a big talk but they are wusses when you get close to them! Also, they travel in gangs. They invade feeders and just make a mess! But I admit they are cool looking with pretty velvety feathers.
They're very cool looking! They have a kind of subtle iridescence that's beautiful when light hits their feathers in a certain way. For this shot, I had 2 cameras wired into the house, where they're then recorded inside. I don't think they would be as candid if I was out there with them - ;) Back in the days I recorded this ('04), I just had fixed (non-moving) cameras, but I've since upgraded to using a motorized panhead (actually, about 3 months after this one) which is excellent for range!
I think they're trying to look bigger than the other birds that surround them - I'm not sure in "grackle speak", but when gulls raise their heads to near-by birds, that's a sign of dominance. I'm guessing it's the same thing in grackles...
Interesting. What kind of Grackles are those? They sound very different from the ones in Austin who make a strange grinding noise when they puff out like that, then start going "peeeeeooooooooooweeeeeeeoooooooweeeeeoooooooo"
Oh yeah?? That's cool! I think these are Common Grackles - they don't have a forked tail or any features like that. I've heard them make noises similar to that too, but not as elongated as that, and that's usually their second vocalization (the "eeeeeeeeeeh" noise is their primary vocalization here) - you can hear one making a *kind* of similar noise to that at 1:55 into the video.
I've seen them do that a lot when they're together - I'm not sure if it's a territorial (I'm bigger than you) kind of thing, or if it's just a warning to each other that they're around. Either way, it's cool to see how they communicate back and forth! I haven't been getting grackles very often (this video is 4 years old), but I've seen quite a few this year, also, as you said, in the summer - they must migrate during the Autumn...
They are! I'm glad you liked it! :) I know that some people get grackles year-round, but we only seem to get them every once and a while during the summer... this recording was done during one week in 2004 when they were all over the place, but they stopped coming a week after this was taken... I've seen them in the *area*, but they didn't come to feed anymore... I'm not sure why that is...
I love grackles, too. The behavior they're displaying here is threat display... and establishing an order of dominance. The head tilting upward is another expression of it. Physically fighting is a last resort :)
Hello! That makes sense, but I don't think they really wanted to fight, they were just sizing each other up to see which one was the "biggest and baddest" grackle in the 'hood... :) The whole thing went on for about 10 minutes and they didn't attack each other - just posturing...
Right! "Didn't I see yo' mama in a feather duster last week? Oooooooooh!" :) When is breeding season for Grackles? This was shot in early June 2004 - I would assume it's more in the Spring?
LOL...Ahhh, if birds nested *only* in spring! Hummingbirds begin Dec/Jan (here, AZ), followed soon by cactus wrens, thrashers in Feb. Grackles begin nesting later than many other species in AZ; babies not typically seen until mid-to-late April. Doubt the timetable would significantly vary anywhere, as they have a seasonal schedule- flocking in winter, and their young are fed far longer than other passerines.
Most species continue nesting through summer, waning in August. May/June would be the height of grackle nesting season, continuing through July. Since young are fed for so long--and it takes a village to raise a grackle, lol--parents are commonly seen feeding young in August. Starlings are actually the first to stop; like clockwork; there are no nestlings after mid-June. A few species continue to nest through fall. Sorry, I get carried away :)
That's cool! You can never have too much information! I'll get back to the rest of the response later (I just got home from work and I'm a little tired... :)), but I saw one thing that stuck out - they feed the young in August? I have a clip from early June where a grackle is feeding 2 small chicks - search for "Grackle Chick Feeding Time!" - I shot that video on June 8, 2004...
Aaahhh...! "Can't they just stick to a schedule?!" :) For some reason, I only used to see grackles for one week or so in June, and that was it... but this August, there were at least 4 or 5 adults and just as many chicks in the yard foraging! I need to find some more of that video - I uploaded one clip from this year ("1 minute of Grackles" I think I called it), but I have more... somewhere on my drive... :)
i've also raised grackles from the time they fall featherless from the nest. one actually slept on my fathers pillow!another one of GODS creatures that deserve our respect and understanding
Oh yeah? Very cool - I've always loved grackles! They're kind of like mini-crows, and they have such a superior air about them, yet they freak out at the slightest little disturbance - they're just so cool! I've never seen a grackle chick that young before! I have a video on here of a grackle feeding it's chicks though - search for "Grackle Chick Feeding Time!"
Oh I just recently found out we have a Great-Tailed Grackle back at our school. Big bird with a very big tail. It was the same one always hanging around with another one that appears to be its mate. Cool birds.
Star13570 6 months ago
@Star13570 - Very cool!
taburineagle 5 months ago
I understand this to be two males facing off...
driewe 6 months ago
@driewe - That makes sense, they probably both want the feeder bag - :)
taburineagle 5 months ago
Great video footage!
driewe 6 months ago
@driewe - Thank you!
taburineagle 5 months ago
I never noticed our grackles in Texas puffing up like that, I will have to pay closer attention now. I did catch one on film taking a bath today. :-)
driewe 6 months ago
@driewe - Ah, very cool! It's always an awesome sight to be able to catch them on camera around here, they don't visit very often. When they do though, it's great to watch them interact!
taburineagle 5 months ago
amazing! we have grackles in Florida, but I've never seen this behavior. Where are these?
skinnybopbop 7 months ago
amazing! we have grackles in Florida, but I've never seen this behavior.
skinnybopbop 7 months ago
THOSE grackles don't say what the grackles here in North Texas say! even though they look alot alike! this is odd.
snager80 8 months ago
@snager80 - They might be slightly separate species, or separate sub-species, or they might just have different vocalizations in Texas... kind of interesting actually!
taburineagle 8 months ago
@taburineagle: hahah, like an accent?
toastnuances 7 months ago
@snager80 That's because the grackles in North Texas are Great-Tailed Grackles, Quiscalus mexicanus, and these are merely Common Grackles, Quiscalus quiscula, which only come to N. Texas every once and a while. They're more of cold-weather birds and frequent cooler states such as the East coast.
KuroHyo 7 months ago
Lol they look like they are puffing up like that bluebird from shrek lol
Zarac1121123 8 months ago
@Zarac1121123 - :)
taburineagle 8 months ago
These are Common Grackles, I think.
IanTray 9 months ago
@IanTray - Most likely, I know there are quite a few species of grackles!
taburineagle 8 months ago
We have these guys nesting in our backyard. They're hilarious.
Nyrmahl 10 months ago
@Nyrmahl - They're awesome to watch, they can be parasitic to some birds, but it hasn't really effected any of the birds around here that I can tell!
taburineagle 8 months ago
funny how it has to stop poking at the bag to squawk, lol
tre103 10 months ago
@tre103 - "Could you guys give me a minute here?!" :)
taburineagle 8 months ago
y is the feed in a bag?
woodpecker950 10 months ago
@woodpecker950 - It's an enrichment project to see what they'll do to get to the food inside of it. A feeder with a challenge - :)
taburineagle 8 months ago
Ha ha Ha!
norseleague 11 months ago
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!
Sp1kfreak 1 year ago
so cute!
vegaskitten84 1 year ago
@vegaskitten84 - Thanks!
taburineagle 1 year ago
LOL, so cute! They're like little inflatable balloons. =D
maplekat 1 year ago 5
@maplekat - They're awesome birds - :)
taburineagle 1 year ago
if you get a lung shot on these things when they puff they pop real nice
ToobatubbaTubbatooba 1 year ago
@ToobatubbaTubbatooba - Yeeeeeeeeahhh... no, not doing that.
taburineagle 1 year ago 3
@taburineagle I did it the other day.
gregstar28 9 months ago
They do that in spring to attract females.
norseleague 1 year ago
@norseleague - Makes sense -- this was shot in July though :)
taburineagle 1 year ago
Also, not sure if these are the same kind of Grackles we have in Nashville. I think we have Common Grackles. They seem to make a different call than these birds here, but look the same.
p2proxtheworld 1 year ago
@p2proxtheworld - There are quite a few species of grackles, so that's probably true! I'm not sure what the exact name is for these ones (I always thought these were "Common" grackles), but I think a lot of them have the same kinds of calls and postures that other species do. DIfferent species of gulls have similar calls too, but they don't all look the same.
taburineagle 1 year ago
Love it when the Grackles I feed get puffy and fluffy. So cute and funny.
p2proxtheworld 1 year ago
@p2proxtheworld - Thanks! I love that too - grackles are definitely an interesting kind of bird!
taburineagle 1 year ago
How were you able to get those close up shots without spooking the birds?
Sharoyuken36 1 year ago
@Sharoyuken36 - For this video specifically, I have 2 separate cameras on ground-level tripods (home-made) and they're running cables into the house to record on a deck there. The grackles just happened to stop by where the cameras were set up, either for some food (that's what the big yellow thing is), or some water, and they just all congregated there because they heard the other ones squawking about it.
taburineagle 1 year ago
@Sharoyuken36 Judging by the stillness of the video, I think a hidden camera is being used. The change in the angles are signs that multiple camera shots are being switched. It's a common recording method in wildlife documenting.
vyperspit 11 months ago
looks like they are getting ready to crap when they do that..
minkyblack 1 year ago
@minkyblack - Hehe... it does, but they're not - :)
taburineagle 1 year ago
I learned that grackles use a series of body movements and expressions to communicate. This one happens to be one of two vocal displays for territorial or mating purposes.
vyperspit 1 year ago
@vyperspit - Makes sense, they want to show that they either own the feeder project (or the water) and they reign supreme over the other birds -- or they're trying to mate with one of the other birds, but I'm not really sure when grackle mating season is.
taburineagle 1 year ago
lol their saying im bigger than you, no im bigger than you!!!!
vinny460 1 year ago
@vinny460 - "Wanna try me??" :)
taburineagle 1 year ago
@taburineagle lol its soo cute how birds communicate with eachother
vinny460 1 year ago
They're like little dinosaur
topsy420 1 year ago
@topsy420 - Kind of, yeah! Like a little crow-like dinosaur...
taburineagle 1 year ago
why do they do that its cute but why?
vinny460 1 year ago
@vinny460 - It's how they communicate with the other grackles around them - they're each trying to look "bigger" than the other ones, so they'll respect it's territory... of course, when they're *all* doing it, they're all trying to get the same territory... so they'll be there for a while - :)
taburineagle 1 year ago
@taburineagle that is soo cute now that i know that these birds are even cuter than before lol
vinny460 1 year ago
@vinny460 - Yep! They're trying to be in each other's face, but looking cute while doing it - :) Gulls do something like this too - they stretch their necks out at each other, and they each try to get juuuuuust a little higher up than the last bird - :)
taburineagle 1 year ago
I think it's so cuite how fast they turn their heads and how they walk! LOL
123Busterdog 1 year ago
@123Busterdog - Yep! They turn their heads to challenge the other birds near them - "wanna piece?!" :)
taburineagle 1 year ago
Wikipedia says theres Grackles all over the Southeast, but they must mean some different type of Grackles. I've only seen the noisy ones like these in South Texas.
hackman1911 1 year ago
@hackman1911 - There are a few different types of grackle, but I think they all use similar calls - maybe one is more muted than the others?
taburineagle 1 year ago
I love their raspy voices and crazy sounds.Grackles are intelligent and affectionate with many people. They are a close relative to the Mina Bird..a domestic bird who can be taught to speak. I adopted a sun conure...they are considered to be one of the most beautiful birds in South America...they have the WORST bird voice and a horrible personality to match. Except with one person, and even then the are grumpy.
Plantscapes 1 year ago
@Plantscapes - I've never heard that conures sound that bad! Interesting! I love to hear the ways grackles squawk too - they can "sing" too, but you don't hear it as often.
taburineagle 1 year ago
The ones around here make even more noise and sound like a broken squeaky toy. They also most of the time are messed up and have feathers missing. Heck I even saw one with one leg. This city sucks... XD
thedonoftrek 1 year ago
@thedonoftrek - That sucks :(
taburineagle 1 year ago
Grackles is a great name for these birds :-)
simbirdcom 1 year ago
serena's a creep!hahaajh
p3acelive 1 year ago
@p3acelive - Ummmmmm... OK, I'll take your word for it...
taburineagle 1 year ago
haha that's hillarious. i always wanted one. i love the male's beautiful irradecant plumage. it's a shame they don't have a nicer call.
JackofWhitechapel 1 year ago
@JackofWhitechapel - Hehe... well, "nicer" is kinda relative - :) They are beautiful though, especially when the light hits them a certain way and their plumage really shows more prominently.
taburineagle 1 year ago
i love grackles i've always wondered if they are a member of the crow family or if they are just imitation crows
nonconformist20 1 year ago
@nonconformist20 - They're not in the corvid (crow) family, but they do look a lot like them!
taburineagle 1 year ago
Look at these primitive little shits, puffing up in territorial display, living out meaningless existences as barely-improved reptiles. Fit to be shot on sight.
wenaolong 1 year ago
@wenaolong How can you say they are living a meaningless existence? They are living on this planet just as humans are, and birds were around long before humans. They have an evolutionary design that proved to be very successful. Far from meaningless. Seeing as you have such "spiritual"/"enlightened" remarks on your profile I find your statement quite contradictory...
Shehzain 1 year ago
@Shehzain What you find contradictory, and what really IS contradictory, are two entirely different things, for all you know. Then again, you think you are too grounded to peer into abstract realms of philosophy, no doubt, so I'll let you say things in a random sort of way when you use that word. What do you think spirituality is? Enlightenment, got a bead on that also? In any event, your reaction is something you should learn from. I actually was joking in my comment, to myself that is...
wenaolong 1 year ago
@wenaolong Are you saying that only you can determine what is contradictory? You're a walking contradiction, and anyone can see that.
As for philosophy, you do know that logic is a branch of philosophy, I hope. Something in which you are sorely lacking. Science and philosophy are not mutually exclusive. You do realize that, right? As for what to learn from this, I learned that you're an idiot. :D Have a nice day!
Shehzain 1 year ago
@wenaolong First, they are not stupid. I have birds, and work with birds, and I can tell you they are actually very intelligent. Second, that does not look like a territorial display to me. If it were territorial, it would involve either fighting or the birds flying off. It might be something related to mating, though I'm not entirely sure as far as grackles go. Third, there is nothing wrong with reptiles.Fourth, if you live in the U.S., it is illegal to kill these birds.
asazisc 1 year ago
@asazisc Actually, I'm already aware that Grackles, like Blackbirds generally, are quite intelligent... for birds. On an evolutionary scale, they are complete 'tards, however. It is a territorial instinct to behave that way, the males do it reflexively. They have a personal, behavioral territory when going about their business. Rarely do they ever fight, for that is part of what bluffing behavior prevents, conspecific agression. I've seen them fight.
wenaolong 1 year ago
@wenaolong Not really. What do you mean, "for birds"? Have you ever heard of Alex the African Grey? He was a freaking genius.
asazisc 1 year ago
I believe I had one of these attached to my bicycle as a kid, I'd squeeze it and it would honk just the same.
eggbaax 1 year ago
I have had Grackles fly up to my specific apartment, knock on my door (like a person would) and then beg for food. They are astonishingly intelligent.
majesticlizard 1 year ago
This birds are very, very inteligent but iteligence is sinonimous of trouble (including humans)... They destroy a lot of species os bird eating your eggs... All others epicies are subdued for grackles... When they come a trouble for humans, we see many people shooting this birds with air gun... deplorable but...
minorojr 1 year ago
They have calmed down in my backyard now and aren't making the electrocution noise anymore. So I am happy watching them yet again and it seems more and more are moving in, I like to think that since I keep the seed out and bird baths filled that they sort of picture themselves in a bird utopia. :D
grindd 1 year ago
I absolutely LOVE grackles. They are my favorite animal :)
7MazinMusicVids 1 year ago 2
@7MazinMusicVids - Awesome! I've always considered gulls my favorite birds, but grackles are one of my top favorites also! We don't get them (grackles, or gulls, actually) very often anymore, so to see one of them during the summer is very cool for me. Haven't had the chance to get any videos of them similar to this one in quite a while though.
taburineagle 1 year ago
@7MazinMusicVids I HATE 'em!!! Just HAAATEE 'em!!!!!!!!!!
wenaolong 1 year ago
There are one or two really obnoxious ones in my backyard that have been there for WEEKS. They puff up like in the video but their call is MUCH more obnoxious. It sounds like something being electrocuted. They also are funny because they look like they are going to explode when they puff up. :D
grindd 1 year ago
@grindd - I've heard that sound too, but not usually that close... hehe, I can imagine how annoying it must be to hear that *all* the time - :) They do look like they're going to explode though, don't they!
taburineagle 1 year ago
hey taburineagle whats in those bags?
emkplayboy6 1 year ago
@emkplayboy6 - Food wise, both shucked (out-of-shell) and in-shell peanuts. Squirrels like them, but at the time, it was primarily for the grackles.
taburineagle 1 year ago
I live in south Texas where the grackles are abundant, and I always look forward to Spring when they're at their funniest. This is one of my favorites videos of them, ever. People don't believe me when I say these birds will puff up and dance in circles around females when they're trying to mate! I hope to catch the crazy dance on video one day.
Uzumakisama 1 year ago
@Uzumakisama - That would be awesome if you could, I've never seen the circle dance before! I can imagine them doing that though, they're such comical birds. I'm glad you like the video, I'm extremely lucky to have caught them puffing up like that so close to the camera! Sorry for the late reply, been kind of lax at responding lately - :)
taburineagle 1 year ago
how do i get rid of grackles?
sndd0138 1 year ago
How do you get rid of them? The main thing I'd suggest is to take away kinds of food they're interested in so they wouldn't want to come back - maybe you have a certain kind of seed outside that they like?
taburineagle 1 year ago
Shoot the fuckers and hang the bodys in a tree.
rdcd20 1 year ago
Unless they're the kind of bird that goes all commando when you kill their friends, then it's ON...
taburineagle 1 year ago
They don't take kindly to seeing they-re friends dead. They eventually get smarter after you shoot about 10 of them. Then the flock moves to a new spot, unless you happen to be be one of the people who lives beside a roost.
rdcd20 1 year ago
A lot of animals don't - gulls (at least ones near here) don't even attempt to land if there are any dead ones in the area. Much bolder birds (like the larger gulls) really don't care though...
taburineagle 1 year ago
I have never seen a dead gull in my life :P There's not many out in the country though.
rdcd20 1 year ago
Most of the ones here are killed my idiots driving through them... they're usually pretty hearty birds, but every once and a while you see one that got hit by someone.
taburineagle 1 year ago
My name is Wally the Grackle. I like to eat cheese. *munch munch munch*
vveq 1 year ago
Hehe - :)
taburineagle 1 year ago
I saw some of these birds just today in our trees and was wondering what they were. They were puffing up while squaking. Thanks for the vid, now I know what they are :)
jubi0208 1 year ago
You're welcome, I'm glad the video helped!
taburineagle 1 year ago
Also, my favorite is the one with the broken honker that puffs up and goes squeeeeee.
kalypsokink 2 years ago
Me too - that's another grackle vocalization actually, you usually here that squeeeee noise from a distance though, I've never taped it on the ground like this!
taburineagle 1 year ago
Why do they puff up?
kalypsokink 2 years ago
They're trying to look bigger than the other ones - kind of like egging them on... which of course makes the other ones do it, and then they all join in - :)
taburineagle 2 years ago
@taburineagle It makes them look like squeaky toys that refill with air before you squeeze again to make the squeak!
kalypsokink 1 year ago
@kalypsokink - it does! :)
taburineagle 1 year ago
LOL I love grackles.
werecatgirl 2 years ago
Me too, they're kind of like mini-crows!
taburineagle 2 years ago
It's very cute! They look like squeaky toys inflating and getting squeezed!
kalypsokink 2 years ago
I've always thought so too! I usually call them "squeezebirds" when I see them for the same reason!
taburineagle 1 year ago
What are black crows good for??
sgtmelisa 2 years ago
In my case, quite a few things... but these aren't black crows - :)
taburineagle 2 years ago
grackles are just like magpies- territorial, and mean to other birds. I once saw a female golden oriole sitting on a tree, (she was just sitting there on a branch, staring off into the forest)
when two magpies chased her away.
Then in the city, i saw a LOT of pigeons (it was like 15 of them) sitting on a streetlight , crapping on the sidewalk, when 1 magpie flew at them , and chased ALL of them away with a squawk.
I saw grackles do the same thing.
Dragonette007 2 years ago
They're parasitic birds, so they definitely do what they can to stay dominant over other bird species, but I have seen them co-habitate with other species of birds too.
taburineagle 2 years ago
Good video! There's so many around here that when a flock comes, the lawn is black with grackles. Their call has such an interresting sound.
shinseimori 2 years ago
Cool! Are you sure those birds aren't cowbirds or starlings? I've seen both of those kinds of birds blanket the yard before, but not grackles!
taburineagle 2 years ago
Yup, there's a huge population of grackles were I live.
shinseimori 2 years ago
@taburineagle I concur with shinseimori. Our yard (especially after a shower of rain) will be covered with Common Grackles and American Robins). Lastly, do you also hear the cedar waxwings in the background?
XtheXendX101X 1 year ago
@XtheXendX101X - We do have cedar waxwings here, but I'm not familiar with their vocalizations - very keen observation! We don't get grackles very often here at all, which kind of conflicts with what quite a few people say (we get a lot of starlings, and robins like you said, but we only get grackles during a few months during the summer) - I have seen yards around here with 20 to 30 robins filling the yard though, so I know what you mean!
taburineagle 1 year ago
Oh just out of curiosity, where do Grackles usually live?, because I live in the valley and such, it would be neat to see one in my backyard, but that probably won't happen XD.
Star13570 2 years ago
I'm not sure - I'm in the Northeast, but I don't get grackles that often either (one of the reasons I would make so many of these bag feeders for the birds is because they come so infrequently) - I've seen pictures of birds in New York City, grackles seem to stick around all year round there.
taburineagle 2 years ago
Grackles populate southern Texas where I live (Corpus Christi happens to be where the three species of Grackle live). They're always entertaining to watch. I can't walk down the street without running into a dozen of them! They especially love sitting in freshly mowed grass and in shallow puddles.
Uzumakisama 2 years ago
they are all over Texas, Mexico and much of the southern U.S.....im not sure where else they are
skrapyard444 2 years ago
Come to Texas brah, we have they here all over the place. really cool bird too. Theres aren't the kind we have in texas though, we have Great Tailed Grackles. Not sure what these are.
Hewhosmokeswomen 2 years ago 3
Interesting! Apparently they (or a lot of them) come from Texas - I'm not really positive what kind of grackles these are, I've always just called them "Common", but I could be wrong.
taburineagle 2 years ago
I once saw a Grackle slaughter a baby house sparrow. He immediately flew off with it. I have to say that I have never seen that in my life, except for that one time.
JeffJVids 2 years ago
I've never seen a grackle attacking baby birds in my yard (although I'm sure it happens every once and a while), but I did see a sparrow attacking it's own chick once! Very bizarre behavior, it must have been the runt of that year's (or at least that hatching's) clutch of eggs.
taburineagle 2 years ago
The reason people don't like grackles is because they take over at feeders and starve out the songbirds which the populations are on the decline. They also decimate the natural seeds anywhere they go which hurts songbirds chances of survival.
freddyfast9 2 years ago
I'm not sure if "people" don't like them, or if it's just a select few. Dedicated birdwatchers that focus on songbirds might not like them because they disturb the songbird population, but so do squirrels, hawks, raccoons, crows, etc... and I personally like each and every one of those as well. Songbirds are beautiful and cool to watch, but just because of that doesn't make them the only birds worthy of hanging out on a feeder. I've never seen ill effects to our songbirds from the grackles.
taburineagle 2 years ago
lol that has to be the funniest yet coolest thing I've seen XD
Star13570 2 years ago
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! :)
taburineagle 2 years ago
^^ thanks for sharing, I'm a big fan of any kind of bird.
Star13570 2 years ago
You're welcome!
taburineagle 2 years ago
I like grackles and the funny noises they make. :)
qwerti666 2 years ago
So do I - definitely comical birds!
taburineagle 2 years ago
Thank you for sharing the beauty of this much maligned beauty! I have never understood why people get so bent out of shape over them. They are fascinating! (and all your videos are wonderful!)
spyroterra 2 years ago
Thank you! My mother used to get worked up over them trying to take food from other birds, and it took her a while to realize that's just the way they are... they're not *bad*, it's just their natural behavior. They really are cool birds - :) Thanks for the comment, sorry I didn't post back until now!
taburineagle 2 years ago
you heard what i said
xXFirestar5Xx 2 years ago
Heh... I heard it, and I can get the "shit on the rim" part... but dropping babies - eh - that just doesn't make sense to me... :) Must be some really lazy-ass parents that just drop their dead chicks into a pool...
taburineagle 2 years ago
fuck grackles... we sold our pool cuz all they do is shit on the rim and drop their dead babies in it.
xXFirestar5Xx 2 years ago
Um... what?
taburineagle 2 years ago
I just saw one of these birds for the first time the other day. They are very beautiful.
Eelanej 2 years ago
They are - especially when the sun hits them in just the right way, they're very iridescent.
taburineagle 2 years ago
These eat the seed we put in a frisbee in the back yard. They are scared of the chipmunks. They fight with eachother for the seed and they scare don't let the sparrows eat near them.
OwnNewWay 2 years ago
Also, what food is that?!
wowhornby 2 years ago
What food is it? They're eating peanuts out of my Backyard Bag Feeder - it's kind of like a cushion that they need to peck at to get to the nuts inside of it. There are both shelled and unshelled peanuts in the feeder.
taburineagle 2 years ago
Question for you: how did you get so close? These birds talk a big talk but they are wusses when you get close to them! Also, they travel in gangs. They invade feeders and just make a mess! But I admit they are cool looking with pretty velvety feathers.
wowhornby 2 years ago
They're very cool looking! They have a kind of subtle iridescence that's beautiful when light hits their feathers in a certain way. For this shot, I had 2 cameras wired into the house, where they're then recorded inside. I don't think they would be as candid if I was out there with them - ;) Back in the days I recorded this ('04), I just had fixed (non-moving) cameras, but I've since upgraded to using a motorized panhead (actually, about 3 months after this one) which is excellent for range!
taburineagle 2 years ago
scary birds
threelegduck 2 years ago
Kind of... but they're also cool!
taburineagle 2 years ago
LOL 1:35 He took off with the food!!! XD XD XD
PandyKitty15 3 years ago
"Ah, that's enough squawking for now, I gotta eat!" :)
taburineagle 2 years ago
They're smart birds.
What's that display thing they do where they stay in that puffed up stage for a long period of time with their heads tilted, staring at the sky?
kaoruneko16 3 years ago
Sorry it took so long to see this comment... :)
I think they're trying to look bigger than the other birds that surround them - I'm not sure in "grackle speak", but when gulls raise their heads to near-by birds, that's a sign of dominance. I'm guessing it's the same thing in grackles...
taburineagle 2 years ago
Interesting. What kind of Grackles are those? They sound very different from the ones in Austin who make a strange grinding noise when they puff out like that, then start going "peeeeeooooooooooweeeeeeeoooooooweeeeeoooooooo"
gezelligtexas 3 years ago
Oh yeah?? That's cool! I think these are Common Grackles - they don't have a forked tail or any features like that. I've heard them make noises similar to that too, but not as elongated as that, and that's usually their second vocalization (the "eeeeeeeeeeh" noise is their primary vocalization here) - you can hear one making a *kind* of similar noise to that at 1:55 into the video.
taburineagle 3 years ago
I've seen them do that a lot when they're together - I'm not sure if it's a territorial (I'm bigger than you) kind of thing, or if it's just a warning to each other that they're around. Either way, it's cool to see how they communicate back and forth! I haven't been getting grackles very often (this video is 4 years old), but I've seen quite a few this year, also, as you said, in the summer - they must migrate during the Autumn...
taburineagle 3 years ago
xD i like it
dagiiansiix 3 years ago
Cool - I'm glad you like it! :)
taburineagle 3 years ago
this made me grin. we get lots of grackles and we get to see this behaviour alot. they have such personalities. they're hillarious to watch.
caseycooper 3 years ago 3
They are! I'm glad you liked it! :) I know that some people get grackles year-round, but we only seem to get them every once and a while during the summer... this recording was done during one week in 2004 when they were all over the place, but they stopped coming a week after this was taken... I've seen them in the *area*, but they didn't come to feed anymore... I'm not sure why that is...
taburineagle 3 years ago
is there a possibility that they could explode?
kantton66 4 years ago
Ummmmmmmmmm... no... :)
taburineagle 4 years ago
Hi there. Retired wildlife rehabilitator here (:>
I love grackles, too. The behavior they're displaying here is threat display... and establishing an order of dominance. The head tilting upward is another expression of it. Physically fighting is a last resort :)
SpreoSuperbus 4 years ago
Hello! That makes sense, but I don't think they really wanted to fight, they were just sizing each other up to see which one was the "biggest and baddest" grackle in the 'hood... :) The whole thing went on for about 10 minutes and they didn't attack each other - just posturing...
taburineagle 4 years ago
I agree. These are mild displays... They're just 'name-calling' at this point... lol
If they do physically tangle, it's typically in defense of territory during nesting season--or to keep other males from their women. (:>
SpreoSuperbus 4 years ago
Right! "Didn't I see yo' mama in a feather duster last week? Oooooooooh!" :) When is breeding season for Grackles? This was shot in early June 2004 - I would assume it's more in the Spring?
taburineagle 4 years ago
LOL...Ahhh, if birds nested *only* in spring! Hummingbirds begin Dec/Jan (here, AZ), followed soon by cactus wrens, thrashers in Feb. Grackles begin nesting later than many other species in AZ; babies not typically seen until mid-to-late April. Doubt the timetable would significantly vary anywhere, as they have a seasonal schedule- flocking in winter, and their young are fed far longer than other passerines.
SpreoSuperbus 4 years ago
Most species continue nesting through summer, waning in August. May/June would be the height of grackle nesting season, continuing through July. Since young are fed for so long--and it takes a village to raise a grackle, lol--parents are commonly seen feeding young in August. Starlings are actually the first to stop; like clockwork; there are no nestlings after mid-June. A few species continue to nest through fall. Sorry, I get carried away :)
SpreoSuperbus 4 years ago
That's cool! You can never have too much information! I'll get back to the rest of the response later (I just got home from work and I'm a little tired... :)), but I saw one thing that stuck out - they feed the young in August? I have a clip from early June where a grackle is feeding 2 small chicks - search for "Grackle Chick Feeding Time!" - I shot that video on June 8, 2004...
taburineagle 4 years ago
I have seen that video and it's great! I didn't mean that the babies are fed *only* in August (:>
SpreoSuperbus 4 years ago
Aaahhh...! "Can't they just stick to a schedule?!" :) For some reason, I only used to see grackles for one week or so in June, and that was it... but this August, there were at least 4 or 5 adults and just as many chicks in the yard foraging! I need to find some more of that video - I uploaded one clip from this year ("1 minute of Grackles" I think I called it), but I have more... somewhere on my drive... :)
taburineagle 4 years ago
i've also raised grackles from the time they fall featherless from the nest. one actually slept on my fathers pillow!another one of GODS creatures that deserve our respect and understanding
winkycoon 4 years ago
Oh yeah? Very cool - I've always loved grackles! They're kind of like mini-crows, and they have such a superior air about them, yet they freak out at the slightest little disturbance - they're just so cool! I've never seen a grackle chick that young before! I have a video on here of a grackle feeding it's chicks though - search for "Grackle Chick Feeding Time!"
taburineagle 4 years ago
This video made me smile (:
charmybird 5 years ago
Thanks! :)
taburineagle 5 years ago
Hehe I love how they fluff up to call. It's so funny. :) Great shots! I love these videos.
MyHatbarks 5 years ago