BRONZED GRACKLE 407 



small fish. Mr. Frank C. Pellet (1926) observed bronzed grackles 

 feeding on minnows at a Mississippi River power dam near Hamilton, 

 111. The birds alighted in the shallow water running over the cement 

 apron below the dam and watched for the passing minnows. When 

 a fish was caught they flew to a nearby rock, or to the top of the dam, 

 and hammered their victim to death. Mr. Pellet, who observed the 

 performance for many days, is of the opinion that grackles living near 

 water may depend upon fish to a considerable extent. 



L. L. Snyder (1928) observed a bronzed grackle, perched on a stone 

 in the center of his bird bath, spear a minnow, which was then laid 

 on the grass at the border of the bath. The performance was repeated 

 until the grackle had secured three minnows; these were then picked 

 up and carried away. Upon examining the bath at a later date, he 

 found that every one of two dozen minnows had disappeared. After 

 several days had elapsed, the bath was restocked with fish but these 

 likewise disappeared. 



P. A. Taverner (1928) had a similar experience with grackles 

 catching goldfish at a large pool located in his garden at Ottawa, 

 Canada. Again and again one was seen to snatch up a fish, beat it 

 to death on the concrete margin and then carry it away to its nest. 

 When emptying the pool in the fall, Mr. Taverner usually took some 

 300 goldfish of varying sizes, but that year there were no young fish 

 and the breeding stock was greatly reduced. Others have reported 

 similar experiences at their fish pools. 



Stanton Grant Ernst (1944) observed bronzed grackles catching, 

 killing, and devouring small leopard frogs at a small pool located in a 

 swampy woodlot near Olean, N. Y. Mr. Ernst describes their be- 

 havior as follows: "Circling the pool, they would suddenly run along 

 the ground, fluttering their wings, and jab viciously at the small frogs 

 which abound in the pool. I watched the birds kill three frogs, then 

 frightened them away and examined the remains. Each frog was 

 neatly pierced with a bill-sized gash in the soft throat or near the 

 eyes." He observed them again two days later and reports: "I 

 observed one bird eating a frog in a small oak above the pool and 

 noted that the other was actually in the water and that the belly 

 feathers were wet. This bird repeatedly stabbed at frogs, apparently 

 without success, but I later found two dead frogs floating in the pool; 

 both had been pierced through the head." 



Joseph W. Hopkins, of Colo, Iowa, writes concerning the habit of 

 the bronzed grackle in capturing mice: "In Iowa, the bronzed grackle 

 nests in colonies in nearly every coniferous grove. They soon take 

 notice of any farm work which involves stirring the soil and take full 

 advantage of it. The disc harrow penetrates rather deeply, and 



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