# I didn't know Grackles eat Sparrows...



## coastalconn (May 18, 2013)

Just strange,  I was very bewildered....

1



Grackle eating sparrow 1 by krisinct, on Flickr

2



Grackle eating sparrow 2 by krisinct, on Flickr

3



Grackle eating sparrow 3 by krisinct, on Flickr


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## cgipson1 (May 18, 2013)

Meat is meat is meat to a hungry bird!


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## LaFoto (May 18, 2013)

Oh, that baby didn't live for a very long time... Had it been an adult bird, the gackle wouldn't have been able to catch it, I think...


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## TimothyJinx (May 18, 2013)

The first shot I was thinking, "Nah, he's just tickling that sparrow." Then the second shot I thought, "Ok, he's getting a bit rough." Then the third pic, "Nope, he's eating him." 

Very nice but creepy shots!


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## kathyt (May 18, 2013)

Awww. So sad.


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## o hey tyler (May 18, 2013)

Just checking his vitals, that's all.


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## TimothyJinx (May 18, 2013)

o hey tyler said:


> Just checking his vitals, that's all.



Vitals or vittles?


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## Derrel (May 18, 2013)

I hear they taste kinda' like chicken...


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## manaheim (May 18, 2013)

I saw a bunch of chipmunks attacking a wounded bird, once.  Seems pretty clear that any animal will eat any other if the opportunity presents itself.

It's a harsh world we live in.


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## Tailgunner (May 18, 2013)

A Camera is the last device I think of when it comes to shooting Grackles...


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## WesternGuy (May 18, 2013)

CC, nice capture of the facts of life - sometime they get a bit "not so nice".  My question is whether or not the Grackle killed the Sparrow or was it already dead and the Grackle was simply an opportunist?  I see this sort of thing with the Crows, Ravens and Magpies in my part of the world acting as "environmental cleaners" in the parks and byways where I live.

WesternGuy


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## DarkShadow (May 18, 2013)

Bad grackle Bad.


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## DarkShadow (May 18, 2013)

Tailgunner said:


> A Camera is the last device I think of when it comes to shooting Grackles...



Take some nice buck shots of the grackle and use the rule watch what's behind the subject.


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## TimothyJinx (May 18, 2013)

WesternGuy said:


> My question is whether or not the Grackle killed the Sparrow or was it already dead...



What are you implying with this line of questioning?


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## coastalconn (May 18, 2013)

WesternGuy said:


> CC, nice capture of the facts of life - sometime they get a bit "not so nice".  My question is whether or not the Grackle killed the Sparrow or was it already dead and the Grackle was simply an opportunist?  I see this sort of thing with the Crows, Ravens and Magpies in my part of the world acting as "environmental cleaners" in the parks and byways where I live.
> 
> WesternGuy


I didn't see the kill...  The Sparrow sure looked fresh.  I wasn't by any major roads...  So i'm sure what happened, but a few people on my FB page said it is relatively common, especially this time of year...


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## TamiAz (May 18, 2013)

I hate grackles...They are mean, mean, mean!!   They do kill other birds. I saw one trying to make a meal out of a baby dove and momma dove was trying to kick its arse.


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## WesternGuy (May 19, 2013)

TimothyJinx said:


> WesternGuy said:
> 
> 
> > My question is whether or not the Grackle killed the Sparrow or was it already dead...
> ...



Not much, but sometimes, some animals, including birds (e.g., crows, ravens, magpies, etc.) will eat carrion (maybe it was road-kill), or they will steal the kill of another animal/bird.  I guess we need the feathered CSI team in here? 



coastalconn said:


> WesternGuy said:
> 
> 
> > CC, nice capture of the facts of life - sometime they get a bit "not so nice". My question is whether or not the Grackle killed the Sparrow or was it already dead and the Grackle was simply an opportunist? I see this sort of thing with the Crows, Ravens and Magpies in my part of the world acting as "environmental cleaners" in the parks and byways where I live.
> ...



CC, thanks for enlarging on the "explanation".  I really was not aware that Grackles would kill and eat other, presumably smaller, birds.  Learn something new every day.

WesternGuy


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## manaheim (May 19, 2013)

> Common Grackles forage primarily on the ground. During breeding season, their diets consist mainly of insects. However the birds are opportunistic and can eat fish, small frogs, salamanders, mice, and small bats. They are also known to eat other birds' eggs and nestlings, and occasionally *kill and eat other adult birds, particularly adult House Sparrows*. During spring and fall migration and winter, common grackles eat mostly grains and sunflower seeds, as well as corn and acorns. They also eat some fruits.



Wild Birds Unlimited: What do grackles eat?


There you have it.

Sheesh.


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