[TN-Bird] Re: Where do the grackles go?

Carol,
Maybe they all come over here to West TN?  ;-) 

Seriously though, we have flocks containing thousands of grackles in the 
winter.  Some of these flocks are mixed species flocks with other birds 
such as Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Rusty Blackbirds, 
Brewer's Blackbirds, and starlings, and some of the flocks are almost 
completely grackles.  They move around all winter long from field to field 
eating grain left behind from the fall harvests - corn, soybeans, rice, 
etc.  The flocks will normally utilize the same roosting area throughout 
the winter unless they are seriously disturbed.  The roosts may be miles 
and miles away from feeding areas.  In the late afternoons in winter you 
can sometimes see flocks of blackbirds flying to roost stretching from 
horizon to horizon.  These flocks may stretch for miles and contain 
literally hundreds of thousands of blackbirds.  The most numerous 
blackbirds in the winter over here are Common Grackle and Red-winged 
Blackbird.

So to answer your question - I'm not sure exactly where your grackles go 
but my guess would be that they leave your local area to join large flocks 
which travel throughout the winter looking for fields to feed in.

Good birding,

Mark Greene
Trenton, Gibson County, TN

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