Dear Grackle,
Some creatures make no sound at all. How did you get so lucky as to have countless extremely loud vocalizations?
Yours,
Silent Admirer
Dear Admirer,
While it's hard to answer “why” any of us are the way we are, I can tell you what my ancestors have told me. According to Mexican legend, the grackle, or zanate, was voiceless at creation. But the zanate wanted a voice, and so he set off to find one. He came upon the wise sea turtle, who sang of many things. From the turtle the zanate stole seven songs, each representing one of the seven passions: love, hate, fear, courage, joy, sadness and anger. Now the turtle swims mute, and the grackle sings triumphant. Cruel, maybe, but i maintain that our sounds would have been wasted on the turtle, who spends most of its life underwater. We can all thank my trickster ancestor for bringing the sounds of the seven passions to our ears.
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.
