A new visitor brings a hoard of relatives

A hoard (can one refer to a flock of birds as a hoard?) of Common Grackles descended on the backyard this weekend. Dozens of the feisty blackbirds took over the ground, the feeders, and the nearby trees. The are a voracious and noisy bunch. They methodically (and not so methodically) cleaned the feeders, left their poop everywhere, then flew away in a great flurry of calls and feathers.

I'm told they will return.

I reloaded the feeders an hour or so after the Grackles left, and slowly, cautiously the usual little songbirds and woodpeckers returned.


The weekend afternoons were wild and feathery.

From the "allaboutbirds" site on the Cornell Orthonology Website (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Grackle/id):   

"Common Grackles are blackbirds that look like they've been slightly stretched. They're taller and longer tailed than a typical blackbird, with a longer, more tapered bill and glossy-iridescent bodies. Grackles walk around lawns and fields on their long legs or gather in noisy groups high in trees, typically evergreens. They eat many crops (notably corn) and nearly anything else as well, including garbage. In flight their long tails trail behind them, sometimes folded down the middle into a shallow V shape.

"Size & Shape
"Common Grackles are large, lanky blackbirds with long legs and long tails. The head is flat and the bill is longer than in most blackbirds, with the hint of a downward curve. In flight, the wings appear short in comparison to the tail. Males are slightly larger than females.

"Color Pattern
Common Grackles appear black from a distance, but up close their glossy purple heads contrast with bronzy-iridescent bodies. A bright golden eye gives grackles an intent expression. Females are slightly less glossy than males. Young birds are dark brown with a dark eye.

"Behavior
You’ll often find Common Grackles in large flocks, flying or foraging on lawns and in agricultural fields. They strut on their long legs, pecking for food rather than scratching. At feeders Common Grackles dominate smaller birds. When resting they sit atop trees or on telephone lines, keeping up a raucous chattering. Flight is direct, with stiff wingbeats.

"Habitat
Common Grackles thrive around agricultural fields, feedlots, city parks, and suburban lawns. They’re also common in open habitats including woodland, forest edges, meadows, and marshes" (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Grackle/id). ).