Garden

[Nataliesgramma]

Found a dead Sparrow by the feeders..... I bought berry suet and it seemed to attract those darn Grackles. They are really bullies around the feeder. I am not using suet again until the Grackles move on.......

The Cardinals, Blue Birds and Blue jays left too....

[hoosieroriginal]

Never heard of a Grackle - had to look it up - don't think we have those here.  I put out suet and the birds really do fight over it, so I suppose it could be possible - poor sparrow!  One cake of suet only lasts a couple of hours at my house. 

[SilleeMee]

I read this in an google search:

Some interesting facts about the Grackle:

• They will follow plows through fields to pick up bugs and mice.
• They will wade into water to catch small fish.
• They will even kill and eat other birds at bird feeders. (Crazy!)
• Engages in 'anting'- a symbiotic relationship with ants that secrete an acid that helps prevent parasites.

[fortune]

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@Nataliesgramma wrote:

Found a dead Sparrow by the feeders..... I bought berry suet and it seemed to attract those darn Grackles. They are really bullies around the feeder. I am not using suet again until the Grackles move on.......

The Cardinals, Blue Birds and Blue jays left too....

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Maybe your birds are starlings.  Starlings have a yellow beak and grackles have a black beak.  I have starlings at my feeder and they eat nicely with the finches and other birds.  Some of the birds get a little pushy every now and then--even the bluebirds!  I don't think the starlings would kill the finches.

[cah]

Yes, a grackle will kill a sparrow or anything else
that gets in it's way.
I love feeding the birds, and have been doing it for
over 40 years.
I don't like grackles, sparrows, or Starlings around my feeder. 

We live in the woods so I don't get them here and I'm happy about that as they're nothing but pests. Grackles are nasty and make the ugliest noises!!

[alliswell]

Never knew what a Grackle was either until looking up.  They remind me of crows, only not quite as large.  For some reason those Grackles usually appear before a rainstorm usually in a group of 8 or 10, walking around looking on the ground for insects.  

One of my favorites is the little chickadee.

P.S. The Bluejays here are very domineering and chase the Grackles off.  

[JustJazzmom]

It could have been a cat, a hawk or even an owl! Sometimes I see a dead bird and think they just died of natural causes. I turn a plastic bag inside out and then pick it up and dispose of it.

[Brooklynny]

@Nataliesgramma, yes, they will kill smaller birds, and they also raid birds nests.  I've seen many an airborne battle between a grackle and two or more mockingbirds dive bombing it to chase it away from their nests.  Grackles also intimidate other birds including jays which are rather large birds.  They're just not nice to have around.

[fthunt]

We have grackles in the northeast - yes they are crows will rob nests and eat the baby song birds.  I got rid of my birdbath because I was finding baby bird guts in the water & on the ground.  Apparently the male crow will kill baby song bird - tear it apart, was washing the meat in my birdbath and then delivering the good parts to his mate who was sitting on the nest.  I researched this on Google so it isn't just my opinion.  I and a neighbor finally did away with our birdbath units.  Less crows around our houses and the small woodlot to the rear.  So much more quiet if you've ever had to listen to CAW CAW CAW by the hour.

[gardenman]

We've had birdfeeders forever and witnessed hundreds of bird on bird crimes. We've seen sparrows kill other sparrows and finches. We've seen blue jays, crackles, starlings and even cardinals kill other birds. Birds (and nature in general) are more violent than many would like to believe. Those sharp, pointy beaks are a pretty good weapon and birds don't hesitate to use them.