Great Tailed Grackles are fun birds to watch.
You find them easily by following their loud and distinctive vocalizations.
They chatter, sing, whistle and shriek. (I included a link at the end of this post if you are interested in listening to the diversity of their songs and calls.)
But mostly they sing like this happy guy. Grackles are always at least as interested in you as you are in them!
They are devoted people watchers.
Cheers to you from the cheerful grackles~
Here is a sampling of their vocalizations:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great-tailed_Grackle/sounds
Black is most beautiful, π»
Happy weekend. πΏ
It truly is, in every way! αα
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Love the iridescence of their feathers in your photos, Cindy.
Aren’t they brilliant! I should have labeled this post Brilliant Black α
They are so shimmery! And they pester the Great Blue Herons mercilessly here despite the size disparity!
That’s hilarious! I would love to see this.
Where I came from many believe they bring death, meaning someone you know will die if you see a blackbird sitting still close by. I don’t believe in superstition but I better go in the kitchen and throw some salt over my left shoulder -with the right hand of course, or it would be back luck. π
Smiling……. I grow white roses and gave some to my friend . She only told me much later that in her culture they are considered bad luck. This is probably why I didn’t win the $700 million power ball lottery this week.
Yep! π
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beautiful bird Cindy! They look like a Raven’s skinny cousin!
Exactly right!!! They are a bit more polite too π
Reblogged this on GrannyMoon's Morning Feast.
The grackles and I are sending our sincere appreciation to you my friend. Thank you & cheers to you α
What a beauty!
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Who polishes the to such a shiny black? π
I think the sun brings on the shine!!! α
Great pictures Cindy. I love them and all their chatter. Lovely song too.
Massive Hugs
Hugs back to you David & I am happy you enjoyed the birds my friend α
Oh wow, she is a beauty! Gorgeous capture, Cindy. Nature does create the most magnificent colors!
Nature is the ultimate artist. Thank you Michele & cheers to you α
Cheers! To more beautiful photos! π₯
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Grackles are amazing. Smart and inventive, they are probably almost as intelligent as ravens (although not as aggressive). They have a more melodic sound, for sure. When I had bird feeders, I used to put out dry cat food for the grackles.
How awesome that they came to your feeders. I seem them at the lake and on picnics. They are fascinating α
I have never heard of grackles. Thank you for teaching me something today!
You are most welcome and I am happy to make the introduction α
I’ve never see grackles that big. Wow. I listened to the tape. Thank you. Photographs are fabulous.
Thank you Gigi. There are different types. These guys have tails as long as their bodies! α
Wonderful birds. They can be pretty aggressive. Fun to watch and listen to.
Yes they can. They are very fearful of humans which I enjoy a lot α
An interesting Corvid Cindy we do not see here, looks a little like our Aussie Raven with its hackles and white eye and beautiful plumage sheen.
Interesting. They remind me a lot of the currawongs I photographed in Oz. Their personalities seemed similar too, in that both these birds will come right up to you if they choose to. α
It certainly has a long tail! I am pleased to see these clear photographs for I have read about these birds and didn’t know what they look like.
They are distinctive in terms of the loudness of their shrieks and their general lack of fear of people. If you feed ducks at a lake for example, they will join the flocks and step on your feet! α
Beautiful photographs; elegant birds. Lovely post Cindy!
Awww, thanks so much Francisco & be well my friend α
Always a pleasure Cindy! All the best π
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More fabulous photos of your feathered friends
Appreciate your alliterations and your accolades! α
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Oh grackles! Lol!! Amazing shots as always, my dear friend! β£β(βΰΈ±β‘ΛΰΉ)
Thanks so much & stay safe and well α
I replied yesterday but canβt
β¦send. Oops I accidentally pressed sent before I finish. Have a lovely week, my friend! π»πβ οΈ
You too & cheers αα
Like sparrows, they’re easy to simply take for granted, but they are quite worth a closer look.
Absolutely true, people can be like this too α
What a gloriously glossy gossiper!
I appreciated and adore all alliterations! αα
I love their glossy coats!
Aren’t they lovely. All those hidden colors only come out under bright sunlight α
Lovely as ever
Thanks very much Derrick α
Really a black beauty, wonderful photos. Thank you for sharing. LG Marie
Thank you more for your kind appreciation Marie α
Never heard of Great-Tailed Grackles! At first sight I thought this bird is a crow. One never stops learning… π
Thank you, dear Cindy! Have a fine weekend and stay safe!
They often hang around with cowbirds, so you were on the right track. And you’re right, thank goodness this world still has surprises in store for us. Be well my friend α
Black beauty, indeed. Gorgeous.
He is a formally dressed looker isn’t he! α
Formally dressed, yes – that’s the word I was looking for!
He’s all dressed up and ready to fly! π
Reblogged this on Ed;s Site..
So kind of you, and so appreciated too. Thank you & cheers α
Hope to see them in Mexico. Looks like the holiday is on!
How wonderful!!! Good for you α
Beautiful pictures. I love how shiny and glossy their coats are.
It is beautiful isn’t it, with iridescent blue and black highlights α
Such pretty black plummage and a great, sweeping tail!
He’s a clever beauty! α
I would love to meet him one day!
You never know what life will fly at you! π
Wow. Truly a black beauty. I love the shimmering colors reflecting off his black coat and what fun songs and noises they make! Thanks Cindy.
They are beautiful aren’t they. I suspect birds talk a lot about us, for good reason! π
LOL! π
Our Grackles have white speckles on their back and they have a cackle for their call. Yours are so much prettier Cindy.
Leslie xoxo
How fascinating. There are three different types of grackles in North America. The females are a bit more plain and brownish. α
The one in your photo is almost a fluorescent, dark purple in colour….
Yes, the sun brings out their iridescence,
I really like watching and hearing the grackles. We have lots of flocks around here. They sure can be noisy, but there feathers are so pretty the way they shine. π
They shine!! So happy you have them around you α
I love their bright, sparkling eyes! Great photos!
They look at you with a penetrating intelligence α
I’d never seen a Grackle until I lived in Texas. We don’t have them in NC. Boy are they loud!
Yes! Makes them much easier to find than other birds. Kookaburras are even louder! α
I was surprised at their call. I think I was expecting something like the caw-caw of a crow! Great photos as always Cindy.
They have such a variety of songs and calls and clatters and chatters. I often think it is different birds, but it is just the very verbal grackles α
Beautiful birdsβ¦he sure watching you, Cindy! π
Birds are such addictive people watchers! π
Their feathers are so shiny. π
Many black birds are like this in direct sun. They have a gloss and lots of purple and blue in their beautiful black feathers α
Beautiful! Great-Tailed, not -Trailed? π€π
Well, he was both tailed and trailed!
π Auto-incorrect. Gotta love it.
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Beautiful, Cindy! And so slender and shiny. We don’t have them in Scandinavia – thank you for introducing!
I am truly pleased to make the introduction Leya & cheers to you my friend α
Cheers!
αα
For some reason, we haven’t had a great flock of grackles They were around earlier in the spring. Since summer, not so much.
They do migrate in certain areas, but that would explain them leaving in the summer.
And such great tails! π
He’s an aptly named birdie α
Your wish is my command when I have a chance to spelunk through some ole external drives of photo archives! Will take some time but I’ve got a few. π
Wonderful! Looking forward to seeing this.
π should I throw in a couple of Red Winged Blackbirds pestering as well?
Oh, please yes!!! Wonderful.
Hi Cindy. Ok here you go, Blackbirds pestering the much much larger GBH. This is definitely not “art” but was amusing to witness. https://babsjeheron.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/great-blue-heron-pestered-by-blackbird-babsjeheron.jpghttps://babsjeheron.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/great-blue-heron-pestered-by-blackbird-babsjeheron.jpg
Oops my bad. Please try this link instead https://babsjeheron.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/great-blue-heron-pestered-by-blackbird-babsjeheron.jpg
I saw this!!! Cheeky little red wing has lots of courage. Love this!
Oh good, glad you enjoy the Red Wings. They make such interesting noises, too. I hesitate to call their sounds “calls” they are so distinct!
Hi Cindy β As promised a couple of weeks ago for your beautiful iridescent Grackles, here are some of my captures of Grackles pestering a much larger Great Blue Heron. I took these back in 2014 (but never uploaded til now) and the only reason I noticed them was the Heronβs demeanor change and the Grackles commotion. Look at the first three and see if you can see Where’s Grackle, like Whereβs Waldo. In the 4th image Iβve highlighted the Grackles to make finding them easier.
https://babsjeheron.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/angry-grackle-nbr-1-babsjeheron.jpg
https://babsjeheron.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/angry-grackle-nbr-2-babsjeheron.jpg
https://babsjeheron.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/angry-grackle-nbr-3-babsjeheron.jpg
https://babsjeheron.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/grackle-haranguing-great-blue-heron-babsjeheron.jpg
Best, Babsje
Oh my! These are awesome! I love how confident grackles are. Thanks so much for sharing these. I loved them! ααα
You’re welcome. Aren’t those Grackles fearless!? I could hear them real-time and could see the leaves being displaced but it wasn’t until downloading that I could definitely see them. I had those images all set for a blog post back in 2014 but apparently lost my train of thought. So very glad you enjoyed them. P.S. I also have a couple of images of a Grackle harassing a Res Tail Hawk but the lighting makes it hard to determine if it really is a Grackle or a Blue Jay but whichever it succeeded in flushing the Hawk! Best, Babsje.
I would say – elegantly black!
Yes, dressed for the best! α
A singing bird with shiny feathers – what could be better? Thank you, Cindy.
Smiling….. Works for me every time! α
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A true beauty, indeed. Lovely photos. Thank you, Cindy.
So kind of you and so appreciated too. Cheers to you α
I’ve never been too fond of the grackles we have here, Cindy. They strike me as loud, aggressive, and somewhat bullying. Thanks for showing me a side of them I hadn’t observed before.
Thank you for being open minded and open hearted Debbie & cheers to you my friend α
They are gorgeous!
Aren’t they wonderful! Amazing vocalizers too α
Hi Cindy, thank you for these beautiful photographs.
You are always so welcome and so appreciated Charles α
The shine on the feathers came through beautifully, Cindy.
We have Grackles up here.
I’m so grateful!
Cindy, thank you for these beauty shots of an underrated bird!
I <3 my friends who <3 grackles α
Reblogged this on Art, animals, and the earth.
You are a friend indeed Sharon. Thank you sincerely αα
Thousands of grackles roosted at the airport and occasionally one of them sought the heat of the terminal. I loved the reaction of the northern visitors who wondered about the exotic bird with the strange vocalizations. One used to sit on my desk…
That is SO amazing!! Thank you for sharing it. I love the one who sat on your desk α
…and pooped on it!
Laughing……. Of course he did!!!
I find all grackles to be handsome and fascinating birds! π€
I agree with you completely. We think alike αα
Lovely photos Cindy π
So happy you enjoyed them & thank you very much α
There is something about blackbirds I don’t like, same with Ravens.
You are not alone with this Charlotte. Blackbirds have been feared across the millennia as bad luck birds. I just think they are very intelligent, but I do not annoy them π
You’ve kinda made me like these birds! They tramp though the mulch in my garden and kick it out as they hunt for tasty bugs, so I’ve often viewed them as pests. You’ve shown how glossy black and beautiful their feathers are. And that they’re people watchers–never knew that!
I love grackles! They are as smart as they are beautiful and full of personality. As a wildlife rehabber since the 80s, I’ve raised several from hatchlings, rehabilitating them back into the wild when they were ready. We have a whole flock of them who hang around our feeder and they turn out by the hundreds in spring and fall, singing, calling, and filling up all the trees — quite a spectacle. Your photos are amazing, Cindy, thank you for sharing.
How fabulous that you raised several from chicks. They are the most endearing birds, smart as you said, and also relatively unafraid and willing to come up to you and check you out! I love that α
These are some beautiful and intelligent birds.
We are in accord! Thanks much α