LVI 



BKONZED GRACKLE; CBOW BLACKBIRD; WESTERN CROW 



BLACKBIRD; BOAT-TAILED BLACKBIRD 



511 b. Quiscalus quiscala aeneus 



This tri-colored "Blackbird" is the species of 

 Grackle found in the central part of the United States, 

 and is about twelve inches long, with body of a brassy 

 color, wings and tail purplish-violet, and head and neck 

 steel-blue. 



The Bronze Grackle is migratory, arriving in the 

 vicinity of Kansas City in March and departing in Oc- 

 tober, and breeding as far north as Hudson Bay. 



The nest is a rough bulky affair made of coarse sticks 

 and rubbish plastered together with much mud. There 

 are from three to six eggs of a bluish-green color, with 

 brown worm-like scrawls. The birds prefer cedars and 

 other evergreen trees as nesting sites. (Fig. 87.) 



Like domestic chickens, Grackles will feed on all 

 kinds of seeds, worms, grasshopers and garbage refuse. 

 These birds live in small flocks the year around, but in 

 late fall congregate in great hordes and in some localities 

 do much injury to ripening crops. City parks are fre- 

 quently selected as breeding places and trees along side- 

 walks are used as roosting spots by these Blackbirds, 

 which thus make themselves a great nuisance, hard to get 

 rid of. Although gregarious, they mate for the season. 



"We are all familiar with this trim, yellow-eyed bird, 

 for it is a regular visitor and may be seen strutting, like 

 a small Crow, along the furrows behind the plowman, 

 or at the picnic grounds in our public parks picking up 

 crumbs. 



"You can hear the blackbirds jawin', as they f oiler up 

 the plow 



Oh, they're bound to git their breakfast, and they're 

 not a-carin* how; 



187 



