Protecting your property as ‘plague’ of grackles dawn upon Abilene for breeding season
ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – It’s that time of year in the Key City when we see a lot of birds in the skies, especially near the southside Walmart. These birds are called grackles, and local experts say the reason they’re so prevalent this time of year all boils down to mating season.
“This time of year, they are just getting ready for the nesting season, and so you’ll see a lot of courtship displays- which are when those males are making their really loud calls. But they’ll be raising their young through the summer, and then you’ll see those larger numbers in the fall because they’ve just recruited all their young into the population by that time of year,” explained Annaliese Scoggin, District Biologist for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
When to watch ‘once in a multi-generation’ solar eclipse across the Big Country
While some consider the grackle a nuisance, there is debate as to how you can rid them from your property. Because these birds are classified as migratory birds, there are limits to exactly what you may do if they’re a bother to you.
A gentle solution to the problem may be playing bird calls from birds of prey – hawks and owls. Other predators include cats, raccoons, squirrels, and snakes. Lacy Loudermilk, a captain with the Texas Game Wardens, told KTAB/KRBC about another humane way of keeping the grackles at bay.
“They can get predators, like a plastic owl or something, to sit in their tree. That makes them a little more scared, and they’ll move off and go somewhere else,” Loudermilk suggested.
Abilene-based film ‘Accidental Texan’ releases in 30 states across the nation
Another option, on private property outside of city limits, is shooting a blank into the air to scare off the birds. However, if a farmer feels that a grackle’s presence is negatively impacting their livelihood, that farmer is within their rights to use a firearm. An example of this might be a flock of grackles, also known as a “plague,” eating freshly laid seeds on a farmer’s field.
Officially classified as “migratory” birds, Scoggin said a more appropriate term for the grackle could be “expansive.” She said the original range for grackles in the early 1900s was primarily limited to Central America. Since expanding populated areas over the last 120 years or so, we’ve allowed grackles’ range to expand just the same.
“We create environments that are really well-suited to them because they like to roost communally in areas. So, we have trees where they can roost communally, and lots of abundant food resources both in urban areas and agricultural areas,” explicated Scoggin.
LIST: Abilene area 2024 Easter events
Scoggin added that the springtime is typically the grackles’ mating season. With that comes new noises, which would be the sounds of mating calls from the males.
Abilene resident, Lilly New told KTAB/KRBC the plague of grackles can be annoying to see, but there’s always a silver lining, “Never been a big fan of birds. When they ruin my car after I get a good car wash, that always makes me mad. But I will say one positive: I do like the noise of the birds a little bit. [It] Kinda makes me think I’m on the beach.”
The grackles’ breeding season typically continues through early summer, then we’ll see them again with their young in the fall.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com.
