Dear Grackle,
I hear a lot of talk about alpha males, beta males, sigma males... is this a thing for birds?
Yours,
Alphabetically Addled
Dear Addled,
Not even grackles escape the human need to classify types of guys. If you're a male grackle, you're probably one of three kinds: territorial males (usually the largest birds with the longest tails) defend one or more trees where females are nesting and often have social mates. Resigent males live in the colony, but they don't defend territories of their own. Transient males are drifters, just passing through (if they could read they'd love kerouac). Territorial males have the best luck reproductively. They mate with multiple females and father the most baby grackles. Plus, unlike the other types, they help out with parenting duties. But that doesn't mean any one type is best - there's a place for all three types of guys in the parking lot.
Yours,
Grackle
Have a question for the grackle? Email us at magazine@tpwd.texas.gov and we will pass it along to our avian adviser. The grackle's opinions are its own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
