The A**holes of the Sky!

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If you’ve never lived in or visited Central Texas, you may be unfamiliar with today’s animal. I present to you, the common Grackle. I knew about these birds long before I found out their name.

While working at a hotel downtown, I would always see them out by the smokers patio. They seemed fearless and many of them had feathers so tattered, you’d think they just left a knife fight. The males and females alike would strut around, eyeballing us closely, and pick up food scraps and crumbs inches away from our feet. I’ve never seen them attack anyone, but I certainly wouldn’t want to tangle with one. That crazed look in their eyes almost seems to say “Just try something, man. I’ll cut you!”

I ended up doing some research on them a while back and found out that they are also a**holes to other bird species. I have read that they will kill sparrows, gouge out their eyes, and eat their brains. ::clears throat:: I said THEY EAT OTHER BIRDS’ BRAINS, PEOPLE! That’s messed up! Regardless, they are a staple of the Austin scene, and I’m not too worried about them becoming large enough to begin eating our brains any time soon. But, if they do, I say we feed them the hipsters first.

Another note about grackles is that they travel in huge groups. And I guess they all call each other in advance to organize a meeting place because we've seen THOUSANDS congregated in the trees at our local Walmart. This video is the closest example I could find on short notice to depict the beginning of the Fall migration for grackles, but it doesn't do it justice.

Anyway, since beginning work in a place with a big pigeon population, it’s become kind of a toss up on which bird is the bigger a**hole. Maybe I will do a daily sketch of some Pigeons and discuss their awful behavior and you guys can decide which one is worse.

Until next time!

02 June 2018
12:04 - 12:55
(51 minutes)

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