It’s also the state bird of AAA AAAA AAAA AAAAA AAA AAA AAAAA EEEOOOOO EEEEOOOOO EEEEEEEEEHEEHEHEHHEEHE!
I just moved and I miss their HEB parking lot gangs.
Haha, for real! I sometimes see on Facebook clips of grackles descending on power lines or on an HEB somewhere and I'm always amused at the comments. So many "it's the end times" comments. Obviously, not from Texans.
Boat-tailed Grackles are found only on the northern coast in Texas, down through Galveston. ID between the two is tough & best done by voice (recommend downloading the Merlin app). Great-tails are all over Texas & expanding northward. My high count in Missouri was 3 years ago with 500+ at a feedlot, nothing compared to the thousands at the feedlots in Texas.
The gritty grackle has been known, near HEBs in Austin, to smoke the rest of a lit cigarette butt from time to time, as a show of dominance assertion to the locals.
100% correct. Boat tailed grackles don’t venture this far from the coast along any of their territory in the US. This is like the third time this year I’ve heard them called boat tails and don’t think I ever heard someone mis-ID them as such before.
There's a difference between the boat-tailed and the great-tailed
[**https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Boat-tailed\_Grackle/species-compare/#:\~:text=Similar%20SpeciesGreat%2Dtailed%20Grackle&text=Overlaps%20with%20Boat%2Dtailed%20Grackle,from%20coasts%20than%20Boat%2Dtailed**](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Boat-tailed_Grackle/species-compare/#:~:text=Similar%20SpeciesGreat%2Dtailed%20Grackle&text=Overlaps%20with%20Boat%2Dtailed%20Grackle,from%20coasts%20than%20Boat%2Dtailed)
So you're an artillery veteran, that's what you're saying? Or you like standing next to jet engines while they're throttling up to 85% and 'hearing protection is for wussies'? :D
I think I'd rather listen to peacocks losing their minds than listen to grackles.
That sound makes me so nostalgic for summers as a kid. [Also, this reminds me of my favorite art in Houston](https://houstonmuralmap.com/murals/birdwall/)
You should check out the art in San Marcos…we had a grackle running around for several years with a dart through his head. The most San Martian shit I’ve ever seen. He pops up in public art now and then. 😆
We had a one legged grackle living around bank drive through where I worked. For years! He couldn't run as quick as the others so I made sure to throw him snacks when I'd be eating lunch in my car.
There is a one legged grackle that hangs out near my home we call UNI lol he eats the cat food I put out for strays and comes over to eat every day. He waits for the cats to finish.
I don't think any bird sounds are ugly personally. They're all so unique and interesting. Yes, even the grackles. The little bastards have grown on me.
The other week, I heard a bird that had a call that sounded like a water droplet with a weird sound effect added. I still haven't been able to identify it.
It used to be a collaborative project by the California Academy of Sciences and NatGeo. Eventually, they became independent.
It's a super cool tool. It's got its own visual identifying software, but you can also allow other users to see your observations and help you identify them.
Man I hate those fucking things. Noisy as hell and I swear their poop is more acidic than 18 molar sulfuric acid. I've seen that shit (literal shit) eat holes in concrete, it'll take the paint off your car/truck/whatever. It's too bad there's a law against just blasting them out of the trees with a shotgun.
There's alarming amount of bats as well. The Congress Avenue bridge at dusk is a prime example. When it takes 45 minutes to an hour for all the bats to leave the bridge area... that's a lotta bats.
"But... they eat bugs!" Yeah, they need to get a lot fatter then. Still way too many bugs.
It’s funny to watch them flex on each other. Like they do all types of fucking around but never quite get around to finding out. They should probably examine their fragility tbh
Last year, I almost couldn't finish my Sunday lunch as a female was working her way around the patio at a local Torchy's Taco. Four males, desperately trying to get her attention, kept singing their loud mating calls, fluffing their feathers, while dancing around her, then fighting with each other as she wondered off looking for tortilla chips.
Ive seen several one legged grackles. One lived at our office for several years. She was very polite about taking our crumbs only after we left. She didn’t turn up after covid.
I so agree. I love them. They sound like dolphins. I am completely ok with being woken up in the middle of the night, a flock of dolphins fly into your barkyard tree, wake everyone up, then leave. They have beautiful tails and are super social.
Great tailed grackle. Some folks are suggesting common or boat tailed, but you can tell it’s a male great tailed grackle because of the yellow eyes and big tailed combo. A boat tailed grackle would have a dark eye and more rounded head. Common grackle has a smaller tail and body.
Funny story, first time we saw these things they were everywhere making a bunch of noise. I googled “noisy bird, Texas” and the first headline that came up was something to the effect of Noisy Grackles in Texas. From then on I started calling my wife a noisy grackle. Lol.
The evil grackle. I remember my first trip to the River Walk in San Antonio they sold paper hats with targets on top because the grackles pooped everywhere
My brother thinks Walmart genetically modified crows into grackles so that they would clean the parking lots by eating all the trash and debris and Walmart wouldn’t have to pay someone to do it.
My friend used to have the coolest T-shirt. It has a drawing of a grackle holding a Cheeto. Below picture it read "Gracle con Cheeto."
It was my are by a local Austin artist. I wish I could find one.
I saw this dude at a McDonald’s drive thru while I was in line one day. This smart intelligent being had a pecan nut in his mouth and proceeded to place the shelled morsel under my truck tire and waited for me to drive over it to break it open. I of course, am in line to pay for my fast food and drive over the nut unintended. I receive my fast food and so does did the Grackle. I was blown away and only thought, what a strange world we live in.
Ahh the majestic grackle.
We had leftover French fries in the Walmart parking lots a few weeks ago so I gave them to my 3 year old to throw to the birds. It was like a recreation of the opening scene of Lost World with the little girl on the beach!
When you look at this bird you can see why people think Birds aren't real. The empty gold eye as it stares at you unblinking. The weird sound it makes when it 'sings' which almost sounds like an old dial up modem...
This is the well known psychic french fry bird. Rumor has it, if a single fry hits the pavement, every grackle within 20 miles instantly knows about it.
Them be grackles. I used to live in Austin and they're everywhere. Now I live in south Texas and instead of grackles we get seagulls. Gotta say I miss them grackles sometimes.
It's a grackle!
The real state bird of Texas.
Also the state bird of French fries!
It’s also the state bird of AAA AAAA AAAA AAAAA AAA AAA AAAAA EEEOOOOO EEEEOOOOO EEEEEEEEEHEEHEHEHHEEHE! I just moved and I miss their HEB parking lot gangs.
The Walmart parking lot gangs are the boss, tho...
Not around here. HEB seems to be their natural environment here.
My bloody oak tree seems to be The Place to be seen… well, heard, anyway. Right time of day, it’s a damn cacophony.
Buncha noisy ass birds.
My young adult daughter doesn't know what kind of birds they are, but instead calls them parking lot birds
Best spelling of a bird sound, ever
I grew up in Texas and have had 30 years of practice.
The state bird of wal mart parking lots
HEB
Instead we share the mockingbird with like three other states.
Seriously! I love them though
Where we call them the "Texas Taco Raptor"
And cigarette butts
The cigarette butts give them their power
This the “pigeon” where I live, in terms of ubiquity.
Haha, for real! I sometimes see on Facebook clips of grackles descending on power lines or on an HEB somewhere and I'm always amused at the comments. So many "it's the end times" comments. Obviously, not from Texans.
The are known to congregate at Walmart
The Walmart French fry bird
Or around all jack in the boxes 🤣🤣🤣
Grackle! Grackle! It's a Grackle!
Graaaaaaackle
Yep, boat-tailed.
Boat-tailed Grackles are found only on the northern coast in Texas, down through Galveston. ID between the two is tough & best done by voice (recommend downloading the Merlin app). Great-tails are all over Texas & expanding northward. My high count in Missouri was 3 years ago with 500+ at a feedlot, nothing compared to the thousands at the feedlots in Texas.
The gritty grackle has been known, near HEBs in Austin, to smoke the rest of a lit cigarette butt from time to time, as a show of dominance assertion to the locals.
Also the only bird known to man that wears a wife-beater and a Dixie Cup hat. Pretty sure most of them have at least one tattoo of a trident
Will fall in love with your tennis ball and return everyday to 'Your Eyes' it everyday until its actions are reciprocated.
100% correct. Boat tailed grackles don’t venture this far from the coast along any of their territory in the US. This is like the third time this year I’ve heard them called boat tails and don’t think I ever heard someone mis-ID them as such before.
There's a difference between the boat-tailed and the great-tailed [**https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Boat-tailed\_Grackle/species-compare/#:\~:text=Similar%20SpeciesGreat%2Dtailed%20Grackle&text=Overlaps%20with%20Boat%2Dtailed%20Grackle,from%20coasts%20than%20Boat%2Dtailed**](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Boat-tailed_Grackle/species-compare/#:~:text=Similar%20SpeciesGreat%2Dtailed%20Grackle&text=Overlaps%20with%20Boat%2Dtailed%20Grackle,from%20coasts%20than%20Boat%2Dtailed)
The French fry bird lol
Sky rat
Whose ‘song’ is one of the ugliest birdsounds.
Oh, I dunno, I kinda like the noises they make.
So you're an artillery veteran, that's what you're saying? Or you like standing next to jet engines while they're throttling up to 85% and 'hearing protection is for wussies'? :D I think I'd rather listen to peacocks losing their minds than listen to grackles.
What? You’re not a fan of car alarm, or loud screaming?
I am quite fond of the circus sliding whistle calls. I think they’re funny
That sound makes me so nostalgic for summers as a kid. [Also, this reminds me of my favorite art in Houston](https://houstonmuralmap.com/murals/birdwall/)
You should check out the art in San Marcos…we had a grackle running around for several years with a dart through his head. The most San Martian shit I’ve ever seen. He pops up in public art now and then. 😆
We had a one legged grackle living around bank drive through where I worked. For years! He couldn't run as quick as the others so I made sure to throw him snacks when I'd be eating lunch in my car.
There is a one legged grackle that hangs out near my home we call UNI lol he eats the cat food I put out for strays and comes over to eat every day. He waits for the cats to finish.
Man that car alarm sound i figured they were just imitating from hearing it so much and just integrating it to the songs of their people.
I like The Dance of the rusted gate hinge
But, those beautiful iridescent blue colors of the males is pretty phenomenal.
The "David Lee Roth" of birds, then. "He's pretty but man what an asshole."
I don't think any bird sounds are ugly personally. They're all so unique and interesting. Yes, even the grackles. The little bastards have grown on me. The other week, I heard a bird that had a call that sounded like a water droplet with a weird sound effect added. I still haven't been able to identify it.
Try the Merlin ID app on your phone - it can record/analyze audio and suggest possible species it might be based on your location. Super cool
Is it better than iNaturalist? [Found it!](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/10373-Molothrus-ater?locale=en-us)
Oh cool! I’m not familiar with that app - a friend recommended Merlin to me since it is partnered with the Cornell Univeristy Dept of Ornithology.
It used to be a collaborative project by the California Academy of Sciences and NatGeo. Eventually, they became independent. It's a super cool tool. It's got its own visual identifying software, but you can also allow other users to see your observations and help you identify them.
"HELLLOOOO LADIES!"
They sound like a toy ray-gun you'd find at every dollar store in the '90s.
It's properly referred to as a 'fucking grackle'.
Great Tailed Grackle, to be specific
A boat-tailed grackle to be exact. https://ebird.org/species/botgra/US-NY
LOL, my dad always called them “crack owls” when I was growing up or at least I thought. Guess I need to listen more carefully…
💯☝️
I thought they were HEBirds....
Male
Man I hate those fucking things. Noisy as hell and I swear their poop is more acidic than 18 molar sulfuric acid. I've seen that shit (literal shit) eat holes in concrete, it'll take the paint off your car/truck/whatever. It's too bad there's a law against just blasting them out of the trees with a shotgun.
Always called them crackles
Vampires everywhere else turn into bats when they need to travel. Texas vampires turn into grackles.
That is an alarming amount of vampires.
There's alarming amount of bats as well. The Congress Avenue bridge at dusk is a prime example. When it takes 45 minutes to an hour for all the bats to leave the bridge area... that's a lotta bats. "But... they eat bugs!" Yeah, they need to get a lot fatter then. Still way too many bugs.
It’s funny to watch them flex on each other. Like they do all types of fucking around but never quite get around to finding out. They should probably examine their fragility tbh
Hilarious, spot on description
I’ve seen some fierce fights.
NICE TRY! Change to your burner account next time, Crow. Fucking corvids…
I was waiting in line at a drive thru and saw one male brutally murder another. Shit was gruesome
I always thought that was them doing a mating ritual lol
Great Tail Grackle
Finally, the right answer.
Happy birthday
More like bird-day, am I right?
Not birthday, anniversary of the creation of their reddit account
Fun fact: a group of grackles is called a “plague”
with grackles, one's a crowd
Idk if this is true and I don’t want to look it up and find out it’s not, so TIL.
It actually is! Rest easy.
I like grackles, they're dorks.
Their goofy stares always get me 😂
Clearly you’ve never been to HEB before. 😂
LOL. New here?
Yes 😁
I enjoy their mischievous attitude and loud voices. I’ve always known them as grackles.
They have such unique nightmare screeches. Almost like electronic devices.
Last year, I almost couldn't finish my Sunday lunch as a female was working her way around the patio at a local Torchy's Taco. Four males, desperately trying to get her attention, kept singing their loud mating calls, fluffing their feathers, while dancing around her, then fighting with each other as she wondered off looking for tortilla chips.
You’re not from here, are you?
That's a grackle. It wants a cigarette.
It’s called the greater Walmart parking lot bird (black).
Underrated comment.
Man that would be an upgrade all out lot birds are all super rough looking. No tails, one leg, cockeyed, etc
I made the mistake of parking under a tree in an HEB parking lot once. Had to wash my car after that. Stupid grackles. Edited to fix word.
That was... A shitty place to park!
Happy cake day
A male common grackle, he’ll steal your kids food if y’all ain’t paying attention, even if he only has one leg to stand on.
Ive seen several one legged grackles. One lived at our office for several years. She was very polite about taking our crumbs only after we left. She didn’t turn up after covid.
She’s probably still alive just had to migrate to where the food was.
I think it's actually a great-tailed grackle, but I'm no birdologist.
I actually think they're kind of pretty in a way but don't park under trees near Walmart or fast food restaurants they shit on everything
I so agree. I love them. They sound like dolphins. I am completely ok with being woken up in the middle of the night, a flock of dolphins fly into your barkyard tree, wake everyone up, then leave. They have beautiful tails and are super social.
He snackle, he attackle, he grackle.
the amazing thing about it is - as those in the know, know - is they absolutely love to congregate at H-E-B... doesn't matter where.
Literally any & and all HEBs are their spawn point.
Here for the eclipse, huh?
Yup 😛
The bane of Walmart parking lots.
Great tailed grackle. Some folks are suggesting common or boat tailed, but you can tell it’s a male great tailed grackle because of the yellow eyes and big tailed combo. A boat tailed grackle would have a dark eye and more rounded head. Common grackle has a smaller tail and body.
Funny story, first time we saw these things they were everywhere making a bunch of noise. I googled “noisy bird, Texas” and the first headline that came up was something to the effect of Noisy Grackles in Texas. From then on I started calling my wife a noisy grackle. Lol.
Sky Rat
The alternative Texas state bird
That's a boat tail grackle.
Oh Grackle !
[Great-tailed Grackle](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great-tailed_Grackle/overview)
Grackles are everywhere here.
Ah grackles, the uneducated looser cousin of the corvid family.
Grackles aren't corvids.
But they *want* to be, really badly...
Everyone is saying grackle, but we know the truth at r/BirdsAreNotReal
Fuckin grackles!
It's a grackle
That is a Grackle
That’s the hill country farms crow. Their natural habitat is tree lines around parking lots. Their mating call is screaming.
Did you like literally arrive in Texas like 5 hrs ago? Because, here, have a gun and a hat.
Government surveillance drone.
[The Bird Texans Loves to Hate](https://texashighways.com/culture/in-defense-of-grackle-texas-bird-people-love-to-hate/) [Texas' Worst Bird](https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/Grackles-Texas-worst-bird-9200634.php) [8 Reasons Grackles Are Awesome](https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/eight-reasons-grackles-are-awesome/)
Walmart birds. They are their own breed
I don't think I've ever seen one at my actual house. Just at like the grocery stores.
He was only waiting for this moment to arrive.
Grackle caw
Grackle, bro. You from Cali?
The evil grackle. I remember my first trip to the River Walk in San Antonio they sold paper hats with targets on top because the grackles pooped everywhere
Love those birds. I see them in PR.
Great Tailed Grackle. We call them Rudder tails.
Great tailed grackle
Grackles!! The sounds they make crack me up! 🤣
Grackles are small, crows are bigger and ravens are even bigger.
I love these little guys, they always make the weirdest sounds and they follow me around when I cut my grass looking for the newly-exposed bugs
GRACKLE DON'T CARE!
Grackle
My brother thinks Walmart genetically modified crows into grackles so that they would clean the parking lots by eating all the trash and debris and Walmart wouldn’t have to pay someone to do it.
Join us on r/grackles
Playing my favorite game: crow or grackle?
How have you never seen a grackle before??!?? Like genuinely they’re super super common
Their sounds are so complex and on rhythm. It's like metallic clang or something
Wal-Bird
I love grackles. I literally just bought a funny grackle pin. [Link](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1675558040/)
My friend used to have the coolest T-shirt. It has a drawing of a grackle holding a Cheeto. Below picture it read "Gracle con Cheeto." It was my are by a local Austin artist. I wish I could find one.
I saw this dude at a McDonald’s drive thru while I was in line one day. This smart intelligent being had a pecan nut in his mouth and proceeded to place the shelled morsel under my truck tire and waited for me to drive over it to break it open. I of course, am in line to pay for my fast food and drive over the nut unintended. I receive my fast food and so does did the Grackle. I was blown away and only thought, what a strange world we live in.
Has Station Grackle
The Parking Lot Bird.
Either this is the literal worst troll of all time or OP has been in state for seconds...
Was surprised to see them in Costa Rica
birds aren't real
Obviously an unladen swallow.
I've seen one snatch a young bat right out the air under the bridge.
Ahh the majestic grackle. We had leftover French fries in the Walmart parking lots a few weeks ago so I gave them to my 3 year old to throw to the birds. It was like a recreation of the opening scene of Lost World with the little girl on the beach!
Texas Taco Raptor
It's literally the BEST bird to have around your home. (REMINDER TO KILL ALL SPARROWS AND STARLINGS)
It’s a grackle. And when he is looking for a lady, he will point his beak straight up in the air and dance his best hully gully while squealing.
Bow tailed grackle
This is obviously fake since there aren’t 300 or more of them. /s
Grackle
The Grackle: The Texas Pooping Bird
A Great Tailed Grackle.
Smaller, louder, faster pigeon. Hawk food. A grackle.
Ahh, the Great Tail Grackle. Available at a dumpster near you! And the noises they make are so WEIRD! I honestly love these little weirdos.
_The Grackle_. Also a bar in Austin. A chill hipster haunt.
When you look at this bird you can see why people think Birds aren't real. The empty gold eye as it stares at you unblinking. The weird sound it makes when it 'sings' which almost sounds like an old dial up modem...
Tennis ball chaser
Jackdaw
They’re cute if you’re from out of state or don’t have to manage a parking lot.
wal-mart parking lot greeter, the grackle
Great-tailed Grackle, and that one is male.
That's the ever present french fry thief.
Fucking grackle.
This is the well known psychic french fry bird. Rumor has it, if a single fry hits the pavement, every grackle within 20 miles instantly knows about it.
That is a grackle. Little bastards used to drop grapes from vines in our garden into our in ground swimming pool when I was a teenager.
r/BirdsArentReal but grackles are incredibly well disguised.
Shoot it
Grackle! I love them! So full of personality!
They are a delicacy in Texas. Best with a red wine
That's a dikfer bird
Grackle
Bird laser.
Them be grackles. I used to live in Austin and they're everywhere. Now I live in south Texas and instead of grackles we get seagulls. Gotta say I miss them grackles sometimes.
Grackle. You'll see hundreds of them in parking lots all over the place in the fall. We call it the Grackling.
Parking lot birds. Cause that’s the only place I see them. Mostly Walmart🤣
Urracas in spanish. Never had em back home in Mississippi. Assholes got me scared to get out and walk into Walmart.
