Common Grackle as a Housepet

[Thugluvgrl187]

Cool thread! I enjoyed the photos

 

[Lula]

He has his own room, which is 10x9 there is a tarp covering the floor and lots of perches and swings throughout. He has a cage that I put him in at night but sometimes during the day he goes in on his own. If we are not in his room then he is either on my shoulder or if it's not safe ( we have 3 cats) then he goes in a little portable cage. He hops right in when I open the door....he is usually the centerpiece at our dinner table or on the counter while I do dishes.

Hello Roo Bird!

I haven't been on this site for a while, but as you know I too have a grackle, male, about the same age as Leroy. It sounds like you and I are in the same boat, rescuing a juvenile that has become part of the family! They have such sweet personalities, and are so clever. Our setup at home sounds similar, although my guy will sit happily in his cage for part of the day if I am nearby. I do that primarily to give him sunshine on an enclosed window ledge or when the cats are in the same room. Luckily they are not that interested in him, but I would not want to take any chances. Sometimes I lock the cats in a different room and let Big Boy fly free through the main part of the house, which he really enjoys.

I hope you had a good vacation solution. So far, that's not been an issue for me. I have gone to the vet for scissor beak a few times, but it's cleared up for now. He had quite the moult earlier this month and looked pretty awful, as if he had been shaved. New feathers have grown in nicely. However, in the last several days he has lost all but 2 of his tail feathers! Apparently this does occasionally happen with grackles but it is somewhat worrisome nevertheless. Are you encountering this with Leroy?

Lula

 

[leafhopper]

Is the new tail feather starting growing? The young birds always lose their old tail end of summer - no worries. Should not be in a couple of days though - however yours is not up to long flights. I have seen a young grackle flying with just two tail feathers, and flying ok.

Check this photo out - Kitchi - flying back to us when he wants - spending nights somewhere with a flock it seems - flying anywhere as he wants - bringing some other bird to us occasionally.

 

[leafhopper]

Kitchi sunning.

 

[leafhopper]

Kitchi showed up today at 6:40 AM after the whole day away yesterday. I may have called him down from flying groups of birds heading east from their night roost. Perhaps I should not have called for about an hour, or at all for that matter - I hope you do not judge me too harshly. He landed on our deck, got some food and water, when another bird started calling for him loudly and persistently. I did not see the bird in the dense foliage though. Kitchi was not responding for quite a while getting his bits of food. I really felt bad, as you can well imagine. In a minute or so after the breakfast he flew to my shoulder and sat there for another minute while the other bird kept calling. Then Kitchi called back just once and not too loud, relatively speaking, as it was sort of deafening to my ear. The other bird responded with a short, melodic song, not just a usual call. Kitchi, obviously much impressed, immediately flew towards the bird. Later on during the day, I saw him very occasionally from some distance not wanting to come close. He flew away for the day before 5 PM, which was at least an hour before his usual departure time last couple of months. He seems to be getting closer to his birds and more distant from us preparing to migrate south very soon, which is surely a very good thing indeed, - exactly what my wife and I have wished for. ..Still feels like a flying piece of myself somehow somewhere, a dear piece that I cannot and should not recall.

Please also check three videos and some photos if you would like at https://www.facebook.com/dmitri.v.novikov

 

[leafhopper]

Our dear Kitchi must have flown south. Two days ago is when we last saw her. She sat on our shoulders for a good hour in that evening. Also she performed an unusual dance and a song on my arm that afternoon. Freezing nights are coming and so has been about the time. I am going to miss her a lot. I am missing her a great lot already now. End of my story.

 

[waterfaller1]

I hope she does well on her own.

 

[leafhopper]

Thank you Waterfaller1, you have been most understanding all the time. Kitchi has left - and now I love all the memories with her and besides all the birds around much more. I listen how sparrows talk every night for a couple of hours in my backyard - they have a night roost here - and I love to hear how they communicate their experiences. I understand finally how Nikola Tesla loved his dove. So many things came into place thanks to Kitchi.
Best,
-Dmitri

 

[leafhopper]

If you would like check more photos and videos of Kitchi on my facebook (please scroll a long way down to his juvenile video) at Dmitri Novikov | Facebook and some more pictures at a nice forum at Roscoe The Tame Grackle Is Back - Page 4 - Canon Digital Photography Forums

 

[leafhopper]

Kitchi a month before he left south for the winter.

 

[leafhopper]

Yes, Kitchi is back for sure this time spending half a day in our yard going usual routes foraging and flying close by almost always when called. He is a smart bird with the most quiet flight and he is very quick to notice hawks. He would not land on my hand or shoulder any more or fly inside our house, but he goes around six-seven feet away from me looking for bugs in the grass and glancing back knowingly exactly as he did last year. There are several other grackles around that can tolerate me at this distance for a short while occasionally, but you would not confuse them with Kitchi in all other respects.

 

[waterfaller1]

That must be cool to see that he is free, yet remembers you and chooses to visit.

 

[leafhopper]

He has been more or less detached perhaps remembering the territory more than us. This is most wonderful still he showed up so that we know he is well.

He has not been around for two days now after July 4 fireworks. The fireworks are too loud when the birds have to be asleep. We hope he will be back. Only one larger male from Kitchi's usual group of three is around calling loud days long trying to gather his friends. No one showed up so far. My wife and I hope Kitchi is OK; he just may have changed his routes for a while.

 

[leafhopper]

Yes, Kitchi is back again, safe and calm looking. He has survived altogether human imprinting, the late migration south, the harsh winter in the south, the migration back to his summer place around here in central Illinois, diseases, hawks, people and fireworks. I could not hoped for more.

 

[leafhopper]

Kitchi June 2014 his year two, after his first migration south and back.

 

[Roo bird]

Beautiful! Looks like Leroy except his eyes never turned yellow......they are still light brown and he is over two yrs old.

 

[Roo bird]

I also just saw ur pic where Kitchi is all puffed out in the sun......Leroy does that and Im always afraid he is over heating....I guess it just feels good!

 

[leafhopper]

He feels good - usually birds are afraid to sun unless they are very sure they are safe. Hope Leroy is well. Sunning is their utmost luxury in the most safe respected place.

 

[faeryphoebe1]

Leafhopper, your story of Kitchi brought tears to my eyes, especially reading how he's come back this second year to check on you.

What a beautiful, touching story. You and your wife have such rare, compassionate souls.

 

[thera]

I'm very new to the group and I'm not sure I'm doing this right but I rescued Mr Rocky peepers from my cat at one day old he is now 3 weeks and is very cuddly everyday is a new adventure and we are both learning along the way! Any advice for caring for a grackle would be greatly appreciated

Hello,

Last summer I rescued a young common grackle who has become ensconced in our home. I don't know if anyone here has a pet grackle, but he is really delightful, at times a bit screechy but very sweet. He is approaching one year old and is very tame. He flies free in a large 8 X 15 room with 12' ceilings and occasionally in the rest of our house. I have him on a softbill diet of various brands (Zupreem, Orlux, Unibird), feed him meal worms, fresh fruit and a few veggies, and the odd treat of a peanut and bread. He has an avian vet and is in very good health, although his beak tends to scissor a bit, so he get regular trims.

Since February 11 he has gained some weight, from 142 g to 155g. Do you think he is getting a bit too big or just coming to maturation?

Two things I'd like to accomplish with him are to get him to let me pet him. He will pet and kiss me and braid my hair and sit on my head and shoulders, but he does not like to be stroked or handled. And I would also like to train him to go to the bathroom exclusively in his cage, rather than anywhere he pleases! Any suggestions would be welcome.

Thank you,
Lula