Dear Grackle,
Don't be offended, but word has it that you are a predatory bird that chases away other more beautiful birds. Is this true? If so, please make room for others.
Most kindly submitted,
Ardent Bird Enthusiast
Dear Admirer,
Let me tell you a story. Once, a frog met a scorpion at a riverbank. The scorpion was about to sting the frog, when the frog said, “Wait! Let's make a deal. If you don't sting me, I'll give you a ride across the river.” This sounded all right to the scorpion, and so they set off, the scorpion riding on the frog's back. Halfway across, the scorpion stung the frog, and both creatures fell in and began to drown. The frog asked, “why would you do such a thing?” and the scorpion replied, “it was in my nature.” A good metaphor, although if a grackle was involved, the grackled would've eaten them both before they even got in the water. What I'm getting at here is, it's in my nature to chase away other birds (although I'm sure none of them are as beautiful as I am). You're more likely to see this during breeding season, when there is more competition for resources and nesting sites. You will also see grackles mob and chase predators like hawks that often prey on both adults and nestlings. While I admire your human values of kindness and empathy, we grackles have to look out for ourselves!
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.
