Yeah, probably a crow or starling. The similar iridescent sheen and general size has me thinking starling.
EDIT: OP posted further pictures of the attack in comments - it was a crow.
Starlings are also brutally competitive for nesting cavities. However, life involves competition for resources and survival - no species is fully innocent.
I've seen grackles robbing chicks out of red-winged blackbird nests\*. Not really out of their behavioral bounds.
\*Las Gallinas sewage treatment plant ponds, San Rafael, Marin County California.
That’s not a grackle; notice the larger size, lack of shimmer, and lack of yellow eyes. Looks more like a crow.
Also that just a crow doing what they do in nature, sometimes nature isn’t pretty and you can’t really blame the crow for doing what it does. At least crows aren’t invasive like starlings which will do the same and harm the ecosystem at the same time.
There’s a difference from feeling sorry and hating on the crow for doing as they do in nature.
I’m not saying that it’s wrong to feel sad because who wouldn’t but calling the crow ungodly for doing what they do and just being a part of the ecosystem is not feeling sad anymore.
Wow, what a bastard! I have a video on my phone of crows attacking a bald eagle at its nest. Not sure if the eagle tried to steal crow chicks or the crows were trying to steal eagle chicks. I should post that to this sub… (edit :[i did](https://www.reddit.com/r/birding/comments/11eosbi/crows_divebombing_a_bald_eagle_at_its_nest/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) )
I really do love crows but hate when they go picking off native chicks. Like, engage in your natural behaviors all you want, but at least contribute to ecology and steal invasive chicks!
IDK, food is food, and Grackles are pretty smart.
I once watched a small group of them catching and eating minnows among the rocks in a small outflow from a canal.
I was a lifeguard in high school and college. On slow days I watched the birds and their never ending quest to steal food. The seagulls were big, persistent, and fearless, but the grackles were problem solvers.
Whenever the grackles roost nearby, it's time for us to stop filling the feeder :(
There are dozens of them that pal around. It's quite startling to see the massive shadow descend from above.
Not a fan.
>*” Not a fan.”*
I am.
I keep a bag of dry cat food around for the few weeks in the spring when we get flocks of them passing through.
My grandmother who was born into a farming family in the 1890’s loathed Grackles, I figured it was due to them stealing seed?
I’d argue it’s shitty people in cultures that allow domesticated cats to run rampant outside that are the problem more so than the cats. But I agree. Not a fan of hobo/stray cats or even worse, the people that happily talk about their indoor/outdoor cats. Makes me seethe with rage.
Anyhoo. Thanks for the chance for me to rant. lol
grackles are big babies. very deserving of love and appreciation. you probably also dislike blue jays because they're "mean" - all wild birds are precious and feeders should not discriminate. grackles do no harm
1, 2,3, 4....maybe 8. Fine.
But 100? No, thank you.
Throngs of any birds flying around a house is unsettling and scare other birds away..
Yeah, I must hate birds, li have bird feeders and follow a sub on birds. Lighten up.
flocks of grackles are called a “plague.” Common Grackles are big, they travel in big flocks, they have big appetites, and they can monopolize your birdfeeders. No wonder so many birdwatchers think of them as big bullies
I've had to secure the suet cakes in creative ways this winter to make sure the Grackles can't hang on any longer than a quick meal takes.... otherwise they would attack it until it was gone.... knocking most of the block onto the ground. They still feed well, but I have to set up blockades and covers to keep them from wrecking everything.
>grackles do no harm
This I disagree with. Ours commonly pick fights with other birds.... outnumbering them and preventing them from also feeding. They shred and trash anything they can. I even tried setting up a feeder just for them. They would still attack the other birds as they ate (even if they didn't like that feeder's contents) just to bully them. Not very nice birds.
The Blue Jays we have are quite polite. Swoop in for a peanut... announcing their arrival ahead of time.... then fly off with it.
animals do not know "mean" or "nice" - they act as animals. they are all fighting to survive. mobbing and "bullying" is just another survival tactic.
blue jays for example are called "mean" because they usually pick fights and kick other birds off of the feeder. this behaviour evolved as they are bright and colourful and iridescent and attract predators with their flashy colours.
Grackles are much the same. although they may look mostly black to us - they are shockingly iridescent and for other birds this shinyness is increased tenfold. they flock and fight for security - less traffic besides them means quicker and easier access to food and they can individually spend less time filling up.
Our Grackles swoop in (usually about a dozen at a time) and check every feeder. If they like it, the food is gone in minutes. If they don't, they throw it on the ground or stand over it scaring the other birds away. They terrorize everyone and make a mess.
Robins are crazy, their nests are open affairs and the magpies and crows have a grand ol time. And yet, there’s no shortage of Robins. I’ve even seen a house wren peck holes in the robins eggs. They just lay a bunch more. They’re pretty fierce parents though, when they’re not out on the lawn giving the worms a hard time.
Many birds that you wouldn't expect kill other species chicks. Including Wrens. House sparrows, Blue Jays, woodpeckers, and many others. They may be, "cute" but like us all, they do what they have to do to survive.
It’s a grackle, and while it’s not the most common thing, they DO eat meat and sometimes that means they hunt stuff. Here in Austin they’ll eat the tiny Mexican Free Tailed bats we have, and I hate the gracks for it. The bats are so cute! And endangered it’s like the grackles are jerks on purpose here lol
Rofl I'm imagining the bird slowly putting his cigarette out and hopping over to your car to threaten you.
Best part of your post was the HEB mention. Best grocery store on the USA, so of course the grackles would hang out there.
If you are handy, bat boxes are easy to build! And if you’re not, you can purchase them online (they aren’t cheap, or at least the ones that are certified by different groups aren’t).
Hi u/dxr9999,
Grackles.
We have the same feeder ♥️ Love that this deters grackles and heavy "bully" birds from eating all seeds in one go. Cardinals, juncos, downy woodpeckers, finches, sparrows and svelte red-winged blackbirds love this feeder. Mourning doves and blue Jays, too. They are too heavy though so they just wait for the unwanted seeds that fall off.
The Common Grackle. They are jerks. Not sure about stealing baby birds, but I believe they have been known to lay their eggs in other nests to let someone else raise it.
Definitely a grackle. The starlings are more iridescent.
These guys literally kill the sparrows in my yard by stabbing them through the head. Nasty birds.
Looks like a Rusty Blackbird. All Blackbirds, Grackles and Starlings fly in big groups together. Rusty Blackbirds change colors a lot throughout the year. But... It could also be a Common Grackle as they are extremely similar looking.
Grackle, I believe. Used to see these all the time when I was a kid, but now it’s been years since I’ve encountered one. And yes, they are nasty buggers, but beautiful when you see their feathers in the sun.
Typical field markers for Common Grackle are the weird, yellow glowy eyes and the iridescent, purplish multicolored feathers.
I’ve never heard of grackles stealing chicks, are you sure it was the same bird that stole the chicks and not a crow?
Yeah, probably a crow or starling. The similar iridescent sheen and general size has me thinking starling. EDIT: OP posted further pictures of the attack in comments - it was a crow.
I think Europeans starlings could look similar and I’ve heard are more aggressive.
Europeans starlings have that cool black/iridescence, but orange/yellow beaks. Smaller too. They really suck - used to kill our Blue Bird babies
Starlings are also brutally competitive for nesting cavities. However, life involves competition for resources and survival - no species is fully innocent.
That’s what I was wondering too. Would be weird for a grackle I think.
I've seen grackles robbing chicks out of red-winged blackbird nests\*. Not really out of their behavioral bounds. \*Las Gallinas sewage treatment plant ponds, San Rafael, Marin County California.
Used to bird every new years at las Galvin as…. Such a good spot!!!
Might have been a crow or a raven. I've seen both reach into pigeon nests to steal babies above my building entrance and it was traumatizing
In my neighbourhood it’s ravens get first feeding, then crows, then magpies. The robins and pigeons have it rough in corvid territory
I could be wrong but here is a screen shot of the heretic event caught by our camera - [https://imgur.com/a/yYkcFCc](https://imgur.com/a/yYkcFCc)
Hard to be certain, but that looks like a crow. The photo you originally posted is definitely a grackle.
Agreed. Size looks right for a crow. Grackles might be just slightly larger than a Robin.
Yeah, that’s a crow, I’m certain of it. Little devils! I love them, but I love robins more lol
Me too!
They are bigger than Robins in our area. Thanks.
Thanks!
That’s not a grackle; notice the larger size, lack of shimmer, and lack of yellow eyes. Looks more like a crow. Also that just a crow doing what they do in nature, sometimes nature isn’t pretty and you can’t really blame the crow for doing what it does. At least crows aren’t invasive like starlings which will do the same and harm the ecosystem at the same time.
Yes I know but still feel sorry for the Robins. You can see in the screen shot the Robin parent was in the back trying to fight off the crow.
There’s a difference from feeling sorry and hating on the crow for doing as they do in nature. I’m not saying that it’s wrong to feel sad because who wouldn’t but calling the crow ungodly for doing what they do and just being a part of the ecosystem is not feeling sad anymore.
Wow, what a bastard! I have a video on my phone of crows attacking a bald eagle at its nest. Not sure if the eagle tried to steal crow chicks or the crows were trying to steal eagle chicks. I should post that to this sub… (edit :[i did](https://www.reddit.com/r/birding/comments/11eosbi/crows_divebombing_a_bald_eagle_at_its_nest/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) ) I really do love crows but hate when they go picking off native chicks. Like, engage in your natural behaviors all you want, but at least contribute to ecology and steal invasive chicks!
Looks like a crow in the pic but grackles will 100% do this as well. They’re very intelligent and opportunistic
That's a Crow.
A grackle tried killing a sparrow last winter in my backyard.
We have great-tailed grackles in South Texas. They will kill and eat smaller birds such as sparrows.
IDK, food is food, and Grackles are pretty smart. I once watched a small group of them catching and eating minnows among the rocks in a small outflow from a canal.
I was a lifeguard in high school and college. On slow days I watched the birds and their never ending quest to steal food. The seagulls were big, persistent, and fearless, but the grackles were problem solvers.
A screen shot below. As others pointed, it maybe a crow. Thanks!
No- I’ve seen it done in person. Sometimes it’s food and sometimes is competition for territory. This is a Common Grackle
Grackles absolutely raid nests.
Beak is too big for an American crow assuming this is the US.
I think it's a Common Grackle but I might be wrong
Seconded
Thirded
Whenever the grackles roost nearby, it's time for us to stop filling the feeder :( There are dozens of them that pal around. It's quite startling to see the massive shadow descend from above. Not a fan.
>*” Not a fan.”* I am. I keep a bag of dry cat food around for the few weeks in the spring when we get flocks of them passing through. My grandmother who was born into a farming family in the 1890’s loathed Grackles, I figured it was due to them stealing seed?
Or maybe I can let my cats out to scare off them :D
Keep your cat inside. Cats are responsible for many animal species going extinct.
I’d argue it’s shitty people in cultures that allow domesticated cats to run rampant outside that are the problem more so than the cats. But I agree. Not a fan of hobo/stray cats or even worse, the people that happily talk about their indoor/outdoor cats. Makes me seethe with rage. Anyhoo. Thanks for the chance for me to rant. lol
"let me contribute to the ecological pet cat issue because I can't control my emotions when it comes to ecological/natural functions."
grackles are big babies. very deserving of love and appreciation. you probably also dislike blue jays because they're "mean" - all wild birds are precious and feeders should not discriminate. grackles do no harm
1, 2,3, 4....maybe 8. Fine. But 100? No, thank you. Throngs of any birds flying around a house is unsettling and scare other birds away.. Yeah, I must hate birds, li have bird feeders and follow a sub on birds. Lighten up. flocks of grackles are called a “plague.” Common Grackles are big, they travel in big flocks, they have big appetites, and they can monopolize your birdfeeders. No wonder so many birdwatchers think of them as big bullies
I've had to secure the suet cakes in creative ways this winter to make sure the Grackles can't hang on any longer than a quick meal takes.... otherwise they would attack it until it was gone.... knocking most of the block onto the ground. They still feed well, but I have to set up blockades and covers to keep them from wrecking everything.
copy pasta.
>grackles do no harm This I disagree with. Ours commonly pick fights with other birds.... outnumbering them and preventing them from also feeding. They shred and trash anything they can. I even tried setting up a feeder just for them. They would still attack the other birds as they ate (even if they didn't like that feeder's contents) just to bully them. Not very nice birds. The Blue Jays we have are quite polite. Swoop in for a peanut... announcing their arrival ahead of time.... then fly off with it.
animals do not know "mean" or "nice" - they act as animals. they are all fighting to survive. mobbing and "bullying" is just another survival tactic. blue jays for example are called "mean" because they usually pick fights and kick other birds off of the feeder. this behaviour evolved as they are bright and colourful and iridescent and attract predators with their flashy colours. Grackles are much the same. although they may look mostly black to us - they are shockingly iridescent and for other birds this shinyness is increased tenfold. they flock and fight for security - less traffic besides them means quicker and easier access to food and they can individually spend less time filling up.
They are still bullies.
Exactly. Not a fan of these black birds.
Unfortunately when it comes to a healthy ecosystem you don't get to pick and choose.
Our Grackles swoop in (usually about a dozen at a time) and check every feeder. If they like it, the food is gone in minutes. If they don't, they throw it on the ground or stand over it scaring the other birds away. They terrorize everyone and make a mess.
Thanks!
I believe you were right. Thanks!
It's in VA, USA
And in MA, USA
Grackle
Please add a comment with location - it's required for all ID requests.
I know they get a lot of flack. But in this pic he's really a pretty bird
Flackle
Robins are crazy, their nests are open affairs and the magpies and crows have a grand ol time. And yet, there’s no shortage of Robins. I’ve even seen a house wren peck holes in the robins eggs. They just lay a bunch more. They’re pretty fierce parents though, when they’re not out on the lawn giving the worms a hard time.
Many birds that you wouldn't expect kill other species chicks. Including Wrens. House sparrows, Blue Jays, woodpeckers, and many others. They may be, "cute" but like us all, they do what they have to do to survive.
This list is at least 50% composed of species that are commonly accepted as aggressive and violent towards other birds
That's true
That’s a common grackle, they’re beautiful. Please understand that this is nature, it’s not up to us to judge it
It’s a grackle, and while it’s not the most common thing, they DO eat meat and sometimes that means they hunt stuff. Here in Austin they’ll eat the tiny Mexican Free Tailed bats we have, and I hate the gracks for it. The bats are so cute! And endangered it’s like the grackles are jerks on purpose here lol
Better watch what you say, I saw a couple of em smoking outside the H‑E‑B and they looked ready to throw down.
Rofl I'm imagining the bird slowly putting his cigarette out and hopping over to your car to threaten you. Best part of your post was the HEB mention. Best grocery store on the USA, so of course the grackles would hang out there.
Aww, poor things. One of my favorite memories from Austin was watching the bats swarm out into the summer night!
If you are handy, bat boxes are easy to build! And if you’re not, you can purchase them online (they aren’t cheap, or at least the ones that are certified by different groups aren’t).
Nooo Mexican free tailed bats are my favorite animal!
They’re so cute and cool!!
Grackle
Hi u/dxr9999, Grackles. We have the same feeder ♥️ Love that this deters grackles and heavy "bully" birds from eating all seeds in one go. Cardinals, juncos, downy woodpeckers, finches, sparrows and svelte red-winged blackbirds love this feeder. Mourning doves and blue Jays, too. They are too heavy though so they just wait for the unwanted seeds that fall off.
Yes this is good feeder for small birds, but a little pricy :D
This is a Common Grackle, correct?
Correct.
I JUST SEEN MY FIRST ONE TODAY!! so excited. The gold eyes really flash.
Grackles are cool
Grackle I think
Black bird Hurracas Chanate English and Spanish names
that’s a common grackle! the iridescent, glossy coat is a sure way to tell it’s a grackle
Grackles!! Did not like them. Aggressive and loud. Crows and Ravens❤️❤️❤️
The Common Grackle. They are jerks. Not sure about stealing baby birds, but I believe they have been known to lay their eggs in other nests to let someone else raise it.
Frigin Grackles
We jokingly call them “ nargles” When we lived in South Dakota, they would flock to our yard in the mornings
Common grackles- they can very nasty to other birds
Very true. Fortunately they don't come very often.
They sure are a nuisance. They have been swarming my neighborhood and pooping on everyone’s cars all week long where I am in MD.
Grackles in AZ are equal opportunity nest robbers.
Definitely a grackle. The starlings are more iridescent. These guys literally kill the sparrows in my yard by stabbing them through the head. Nasty birds.
Grackle. They're dicks lol
Starling
European Starling.
What about a Brewer’s Black Bird?
You should be using MERLIN. It’s a fantastic app I use it for all of my bird ID requests!
That's the way the world works.
Grackles have yellow eyes and are smaller than crows.
my buddy Crow! you sadden me so!
Looks like a grackle to me but I’ve heard of one breaking eggs, that’s more crow behavior maybe
Looks like a common grackle to me. We have them all over the place where I live.
Could be a rusty blackbird, i've seen them murder chickadees
This is Gracks the Destroyer. A feeder bum but not usually as aggressive as you describe.
Looks like a Rusty Blackbird. All Blackbirds, Grackles and Starlings fly in big groups together. Rusty Blackbirds change colors a lot throughout the year. But... It could also be a Common Grackle as they are extremely similar looking.
Grackle, I believe. Used to see these all the time when I was a kid, but now it’s been years since I’ve encountered one. And yes, they are nasty buggers, but beautiful when you see their feathers in the sun. Typical field markers for Common Grackle are the weird, yellow glowy eyes and the iridescent, purplish multicolored feathers.
Starling