PURPLE GRACKLE 387 



Fall. — The migrations of purple grackles are not long ones. They 

 leave the northern portions of their breeding range in November, but 

 even here a few remain occasionally in mild winters, though they are 

 rare north of Washington, D. C, in winter. 



As soon as the breeding season is over and the young birds are well 

 grown, they begin to gather in the summer roosts, the family parties 

 joining to form immense flocks. During October and November, 

 these great flocks wander about over the country, often joined by 

 starlings, cow birds, and other blackbirds, seeking suitable feeding 

 places in the grain fields, grasslands, and swamps. Stone (1937) 

 describes one of these large feeding flocks "which contained many 

 thousand birds. They covered the ground in great black sheets, the 

 rear ranks constantly arising and flying over to take their place in the 

 van which gave the impression of rolling over the ground. When they 

 took wing in force the long procession streamed past shutting off 

 from view all that lay beyond and when they alighted in the trees the 

 bare branches appeared to be clothed with a dense black foliage." 



Winter. — The main winter range of the purple grackle seems to 

 extend from the Carolinas southward to the Gulf coast, though 

 Skinner (1928) says that it occurs mainly as a migrant in the sandhill 

 region of North Carolina, and Wayne (1910) considers it rare in coastal 

 South Carolina. Probably most of these grackles spend the winter 

 farther south in the Gulf States. 



Wilson (1832) gives the following graphic account of a large winter- 

 ing flock: 



A few miles from the banks of the Roanoke, on the 20th of January, I met 

 with one of these prodigious armies of Grackles. They rose from the surrounding 

 fields with a noise like thunder, and, descending on the length of road before me, 

 covered it and the fences completely with black; and when they again rose, and, 

 after a few evolutions, descended on the skirts of the high timbered woods, at 

 that time destitute of leaves, they produced a most singular and striking effect; 

 the whole trees for a considerable extent, from the top to the lowest branches, 

 seeming as if hung in mourning; their notes and screaming the meanwhile re- 

 sembling the distant sound of a great cataract, but in more musical cadence, 

 swelling and dying away on the ear, according to the fluctuation of the breeze. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Central Louisiana, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Con- 

 necticut to Florida and Georgia. 



Breeding range. — The purple grackle breeds from central and 

 southeastern Louisiana (Lake Arthur, East Baton Rouge), central 

 and northeastern Mississippi (Shubata, Lucedale), southern and 

 northeastern Tennessee (Selmer, Shady Valley), eastern West Virginia 

 (Franklin, Leetown), central and northeastern Pennsylvania (State 



