BIRDS OF NANTUCKET
by Kenneth Turner Blackshaw

As I write this, Halloween is approaching, and today seems like a day for spooky occurrences. I turned the page on my "Bird-a-Day" calendar, and there, staring out at me, was a photo of this week's bird. It's a rather eerie, haunting-looking visage - piercing yellow eyes peering out from the glossy black head. With 9,000 species of birds around the world to draw from, what a strange coincidence that this week's bird would pop up the day I'm to write about it.

Historically known as the Crow Blackbird, nowadays we call them Common Grackles. They are hard to miss at this time of year, since they fly across Nantucket in flocks from 15 to a few hundred most every day on their way south. They are larger than Redwinged Blackbirds, but smaller than crows. Roger Tory Peterson shows their silhouettes, both flying and sitting, on the inside back and front covers of his field guide. I recall it as one of my early birding lessons, black bird with a short tail - starling; black bird with a medium tail - Red-wing; black bird with a long tail - grackle.

Roger's unfortunate failing, though, is that he pictures the Common Grackle on the same page as the Boattailed Grackle. The Boat-tail dominates the page and makes beginning bird students think this is the bird they are seeing. We may eventually get a Boattailed Grackle on Nantucket, but it hasn't happened yet. Their northern range cuts off at Eastern Long Island.

Grackles are part of the blackbird family that also includes orioles and meadowlarks. They are not the blackbirds from the "Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie" rhyme. Those were European Blackbirds that are actually thrushes - very close relatives of our American Robin. Our robins were named for European birds that are - well - flycatchers. Tricky business - this.

Common Grackles have a rather odd scientific name - Quiscalus quiscula - a quail-like quail! This was given by the French naturalist Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot, who came to our continent in the late 1700s to escape the French Revolution. Like so many scientists he was quite poor and unable to obtain the proper research literature. But he did prodigious amounts of work, naming 32 species of previously unknown American birds, many that leave us scratching our heads wondering how he came up with the names. The word "grackle" itself comes from an old Latin word used for mynas and jackdaws.

So our grackles are Blue Jay sized birds, but black and more stretched out. When flying, they tend to fly steadily in a straight line; rather than, flapping and sailing like some birds do. When you see them on the ground, they can appear quite amazing and are excellent examples of a phenomenon known as iridescence. Iridescence is an optical marvel that causes you to see different colors based on angle and light. Our otherwise black grackles may appear purple, green, or bronze, sometimes startlingly so.

Black they are, but with hidden delights of colors. Now if only they could sing. But no, all their vocalizations are very unpleasant to hear - a bit like a heavy chain being dropped and dragged. The sound is best written "kuwaaxza." It's definitely a hair-raising sound. Perhaps they have some engaging social characteristics.

Again these Crow Blackbirds fail. They have a propensity for eating other birds' eggs and nestlings. Farmers think of them as big grain stealers. Unfortunately in the winter, they roost in flocks upwards of 100,000 and their racket and droppings cause campaigns to drive them away. Oh dear, it looks like the grackle "glass of water" is halfempty here.

Grackles provide us with one of our first signs of spring. In early March they appear on the phone wires and start rather comical mating antics. The males compete by seeing who can hold their bill higher in the air, all the time puffing out their feathers like black balloons and making their ridiculous calls. It's hard on the ears, but it means lengthening days and future warmth from the sun.

They quickly get past the noisy part of their cycle and settle down to raise their families. They lay four or five eggs and raise just a single brood. By mid-June the youngsters are out of the nest and these shiny black birds start wandering until the shortening days call them south.

At this time of year, we find them flying by, clucking as they go, with Red-winged Blackbirds and European Starlings. Remember to look at tail length to see who is who. If you catch them on the ground, watch for their shining iridescence as they dig for grubs and remember that when they return, they'll bring spring with them. I I

George C. West creates illustrations for these articles.

If you enjoy "social" birding, join the Nantucket Bird Club for a walk any Sunday starting at 8 a.m. in the Nantucket High School parking lot. Dress for the weather. Plan to be out until about 10:30 and perhaps meet for breakfast afterwards.

To hear about rare birds, or to leave a bird report call the Massachusetts Audubon hot line at 1-781-259-8805.

Find more about Birding Nantucket on the web at http://k-blackshaw.com/BN/ BN.htm