Common
Grackle
(Quiscalusquiscula)
Photographed in the wild, Naples, Florida Apr 2008
A familiar sight on suburban lawns,
the Common Grackle can be recognized by its iridescent purple and bronze
plumage and long, keel-shaped tail. Commons have Yellow Eyes as to the
Boat-tail which has dark eyes. It's expanding its range into the far West, but
is most common in the East.
The Common Grackle commonly engages
in allowing ants to crawl on its body and secrete formic acid, possibly to rid
the body of parasites. In addition to ants, it has been seen using walnut
juice, lemons and limes, marigold blossoms, choke cherries, and mothballs in a
similar fashion.
This bird
is
as familiar as the Starling in Canada and considered a noisy pest in rural
areas.
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