[TN-Bird] Re: Where do the grackles go?
- From: mgreene@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 14:51:56 -0600
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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