what is a grackle.

[LPC]

here in my parts(sacramento california), i don't hear the word grackle used much. is it only a midwest and eastcoast bird? here we have these robin size black birds wich we call cow birds or just plain ole'black birds. we have crows, most of them are almost pheasant size in body not including tails. we also have ravens but most of them are up higher in the sierra mountains, they get to the size of a large chicken with a broad bill. then there are these birds i spotted a few times, they are the size of a small bantam chicken, with long tails like a magpie but all black. were these gangsters grackles?

[PryorDaniel]

I think grackle are cross-country birds. They're solid black and not very big. I would say those robin sized birds are probably grackle. There's pics of them around here. Try looking for them.

[PeakChick]

They are thuggish gangsters, a relative of the European Starling. They have many of the same behavoirs starlings and steal nests form other, more benevolent avian species. They are about robin sized. There territory seems to be from the eastern slopes of the Rockies to the east coast. I live right at the base of the "Front Range"," eastern slope of the Rockies and the are rampant. We do have smaller populations of starlings. We also have Crow and Magpies here.

Heres a link:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Common_Grackle.html

And here's how they look best:

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=7931&mid=57238#M57238

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=7942&mid=57385#M57385

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=7943&mid=57386#M57386

This is from birdbarrier.com:

"Grackles are boisterous, abundant members of the Troupial Family. Also members of this family are the blackbirds, cowbirds and orioles. Common grackles are found all across the mid-west and east coast. Boat-tailed grackles live along the eastern and southern seacoasts while great-tailed grackles are found mostly in Texas and the south-west. Grackles are aggressive birds who will colonize in large numbers. These birds are very noisy, their gregarious nature is very apparent when observing their roosting and nesting sites."

If I recall correctly from the time I was in Florida ~28 years ago, the boat-tailed are a little bigger than the common grackle, which is what we have around western NC. All are considered fair targets, in my opinion.

Bryan

[LPC]

in that case i've been shooting them a along.
 
i posted this picture way back in feb of 08. so these cowbirds are grackles. one time me and the nephew bagged a tonka dump truck full of these. there must of been about 20-30 of them. fed the cats them and now the cats don't even look at birds no more.





thanx everyone, for learnin me the correct term..

[Big_Bill]

Hey All,

GRACKLES are obnoxious, overly aggressive, villainous, mean spirited, destructive, annoyingly LOUD, avian flying RATS ! That should be destroyed at all costs !

Did Ileave anything out,Stephanie?

Bill

[CFX Marauder]

Peak is right about thuggish !!! My oldest daughter has taken to feeding birds and everytime they start to feed at the different stations a bird will dive in a scare them off..Sometimes it one of the many hawks we have but usually it's a Grackle....Bastids usually never land in my yard though,just swoop on through !!!!!!

[PeakChick]

I could go on but you've covered the basics pretty well Bill.  LOL

[7MMMARK]

check your PM