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The breeding season for the Common Grackle begins around mid-March and through the month of April. By May most pairs are formed. Mating rituals are simple. Following one female, several male Common Grackles will land around the female and perform several displays trying to attract her.
The nest is a well-concealed cup in dense trees (particularly pine) or shrubs, usually near water; sometimes, the common grackle nests in cavities or in man-made structures. It often nests in colonies, some being quite large.
Common Grackles sometimes nest in loose colonies of up to 200 pairs, showing little territoriality except in the immediate area of the nest. In spring when birds are pairing, you may see three kinds of playful chases: first, a group of males will fly after a slow-flying female; second, a single male will chase a female at high speed; and third ...
Common Grackles often nest in small colonies, and several males may perch in adjacent treetops to sing their creaking, grating songs. Big flocks are often seen flying overhead in the evening, heading for major communal roosts, especially from late summer through winter.
Common grackle nests are built by the female, usually in coniferous trees, though more unusual sites have been documented. These include woodpecker holes, on rafters, under the eaves of barns, in the crannies of ospreys' large nests, and in clumps of cattails.
They are found throughout the eastern and central United States and southern Canada during the breeding season. In winter, northern populations migrate south, with large concentrations in the southeastern United States, making them a year-round presence in many areas.
Grackles prefer to eat from the ground at bird feeders and often forage insects after a lawn trimming. Despite their social nature, Common grackles are territorial around their nests. In the breeding season, males tip their heads back and fluff up feathers to display and keep other males away.
