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Common Grackle
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(Quiscalus quiscula)
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Family: Orioles and Blackbirds
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Top Products From BirdStoppers To Repel Grackles:
BirdX Peller Pro Programmable Species-Specific Bird Repeller
Super BirdXPeller Pro Programmable Species-Specific Bird Repeller
Ultrason X: First-ever ultrasonic repeller for exteriors
Bird Stop: Biodegradable Food-Grade Spray Repellent for Crops
Terror Eyes: "Moving Eye" Holographic Repeller
Irri-Tape: Holographic iridescent distraction foil to drive away birds
Stainless Steel SPIKES Needle Strips: Eliminates Roosting Surfaces
BirdNet: Seals Entries and Blocks Access to Convenient Roosts
Description:
A large blackbird with pale yellow eyes, a long, sharp black bill, and long tail. It is glossy black overall with an overlaying purple metallic sheen on back, head, neck, and breast. The central feathers of the long, rounded tail are often depressed, so that the tail is displayed in flight with a deeply keeled V-shape. Female is smaller and duller than the male. Young birds have brown eyes that turn yellow during their first autumn. 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.
Damage:
Common grackles are one of the most significant agricultural pests today, causing millions of dollars in damage to sprouting corn and other crops. The roosting sites of common grackles and other blackbirds may harbor the fungus, which causes histoplasmosis, a human respiratory disease that can be fatal. Common grackles are generally very opportunistic foragers, they follow plows in search of grubs, and even consume human garbage. As they are scavenging birds, large numbers can be found at dump sites, food courts and other human areas where food is present. The resulting amount of fecal matter creates unsanitary conditions and can result in physical damage from the uric acid.
How To Control Infestations:
There are numerous products and techniques available to combat nuisance grackles. Like fellow members of the blackbird family, noisemaker units such as the BirdXPeller Pro and Super BirdXPeller Pro Sonic Repellers units emit natural distress calls and frightening sounds plus visual scare products like Terror Eyes and Irri-Tape visual deterrents. If they are too entrenched to be scared away, exclusion using BirdNet netting or Bird-Stop biodegradable food and crop spray may prove effective. Traditional roost inhibitors like BirdSpikes for ledges and sills is another option.
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Call:
Call is a quick, loud "swaaaack".
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 Sound: |
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FAST FACTS
Height/Weight:
11"-13" / 3.24 - 4.61 oz.
Life Span:
8-12 years in wild
Flight Speed:
20-35 mph"
Food:
Consist mainly of insects and other invertebrates
Habitat:
Lawns, farms, swamps, cemeteries, parks, fields, open woodlands.
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