Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
Length 12 inches. It breeds throughout the United States west to
Texas, Colorado, and Montana and in southern Canada and winters
in the southern half of its breeding range.
Grackles are beautiful blackbirds that are well known from their habit of
congregating in city parks and nesting there year after year. Like
other species which habitually assemble in large flocks, it is capable
of inflicting damage on farm crops. It shares with crows and blue
jays a habit of pillaging the nests of small birds, but it does much
good by destroying garden pests, especially white grubs, weevils,
grasshoppers, and caterpillars.