Grackles

In the Phoenix area, we have Great-tailed Grackles. The male and females are different in size and coloring. Many people think they are two different kinds of birds. The male is glassy back with iridescent shades of purple and blue and has a large wedge tail that turns like a boat's rudder when flying. It is often mistaken for a crow. The eyes are yellow. The female is smaller and has dark brown and charcoal gray feathers without iridescence. Grackles often nest in high trees. When a baby falls from the nest, the entire grackle family will try to guard the nestling by screeching and dive bombing any predators. Unfortunately they are unlikely to feed a baby on the ground so the nestling does have to be rescued. Renesting a fallen grackle baby is almost impossible due to the height of the tree and the fact they nest in colonies so getting it into the right nest is difficult. Grackles prey on smaller birds and often attack fledgling doves that have left the nest.
Male Grackle	Grackle Mother and Fledgling	Female Grackle
		questions?
Grackle Hatchlings No yellow on beak. If the bird you have has yellow on the beak, it is not a grackle	Inside of mouth is red. (It may be a grayish color if bird is dehydrated)	The toenails often get stuck in the bird's ear holes and eyes. Grackle Nestling
Grackle Nestling
Head and face feather out last	Older Fledgling