Join BirdNote tomorrow, November 30th!
Illustrator David Sibley and actor H. Jon Benjamin will face off in the bird illustration battle of the century during BirdNote's Year-end Celebration and Auction!
Sympathy for the Grackle
For backyard birds, there’s plenty of love to go around.
© N. Lewis – NPS
Many people become birders by way of backyard feeders, including BirdNote’s Content Director Jonese Franklin. And while she loves to watch Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays pay a visit for some seed, she’s also enchanted by species that some folks would call “nuisance birds,” especially the Common Grackle. Witnessing the teamwork and dedication these birds display when building their nest is an extraordinary sight to behold – and a reminder that even underappreciated birds deserve our sympathies.
BirdNote®
Sympathy for the Grackle
Written by Jonese Franklin
This is BirdNote. I’m Jonese Franklin, Content Director at BirdNote and I’m a newer birder.
[Northern Cardinal song, ML339922801]
It kind of feels weird to call myself a birder, but if I’ve learned anything during my time at BirdNote it’s that birding is for all of us, even if we’re just getting started.
My wife and I often sit with our dogs on the back deck and watch as different birds visit the yard. I love seeing a pair of Northern Cardinals at the feeder, or a Blue Jay cracking open a peanut.
[Blue Jay calls, ML107392]
And it may not be very cool to say, but I also enjoy those birds that are sometimes considered a nuisance. I like the Rock Pigeons, the European Starlings and House Sparrows. I love watching Common Grackles build their nests.
[Common Grackle calls and wing flutter, ML224879931, 1:05-1:08]
Watching a pair of grackles work as a team, the female gathering materials while the male stands watch. Being up close and seeing their dedication to making sure their nest is just right for raising their young is pretty extraordinary.
I know some people are bothered by them. They bully other birds and clear out feeders. But this is where they live, it’s their home. They might be a nuisance, but they’re our birds, too.
[Common Grackle calls and wing flutter, ML224879931]
For BirdNote, I’m Jonese Franklin.
###
Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Northern Cardinal song ML339922801 recorded by Matt Wistrand, Blue Jay calls ML107392 recorded by Wil Hershberger, Common Grackle calls and wing flutter ML224879931 recorded by Matthew D. Medler.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2024 BirdNote November 2024
Narrator: Jonese Franklin
ID# COGR-01-2024-11-18 COGR-01
Jonese Franklin
Writer NarratorRelated Field Notes
Male Marsh Wrens will build several--as many fifteen--dome shaped shells in the reeds to woo fema
The Osprey is the only North American raptor to eat fish almost exclusively, and it's well adapte