Grackle care & feeding

[birdofmyheart]

Happy to have found this site. I was directed here while searching for advice on proper diet and care for a grackle. Saw a 5-page grackle thread from several years back but not a lot on diet.

I’ve been raising a grackle for over a year. He was a juvenile when found last July, and was already completely imprinted. (Assuming someone else had rescued him as a fledgling and then released or lost him.)

We adore him; he’s an amazing character. Cage-free except for nighttime sleeping. He’s energetic and looks great, but I want to be sure I’m feeding him properly. He generally refuses the fruits, veggies, grains, sprouts and seeds I offer daily. Mostly wants proteins (wax worms + some high quality cat food); likes spray millet and occasional ground eggshell. He’s becoming a picky eater and I’m afraid he’ll contract gout. (I used to feed meal worms, but a pet store employee said the exoskeleton is irritating to their digestive tract (?).

Any advice on proper care and diet? Thanks!

 

[expressmailtome]

Welcome! As they are not usually kept as pets in the United States, there are not many members who have personal experience with them, however @Birdbabe may be able to help you.

 

[sunnysmom]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[LovieLuvr]

As @expressmailtome just mentioned, these birds aren’t kept as pets in the United States. The reason is because these birds are protected under the US Migratory Bird Bird Treaty Act that makes it illegal to possess migratory birds (along with other items).

As a wildlife rehabber, grackles as beautiful birds and one of my favorites to raise. They are omnivores, so they will eat a little bit of everything in the Wild from seeds, wild fruits to small animals (salamanders, beetles, grasshoppers, frogs ect)

As they get older, we would offer them “Song Bird Platters” to ensure they were eating before releasing them. Song bird platters were soaked dog food, boiled eggs, chopped grapes and sometimes added mealworms.

But if you are in the US, please remember that it is illegal to keep them as a pet. Otherwise, best wishes with this guy!

 

[Hankmacaw]

Here is their diet in the wild.

What do they eat?
During breeding, common grackles' diets consist mainly of insects and other invertebrates. The diet may also include goldfish, minnows, crayfish, small frogs, salamanders, mice, and small bats, which are caught from the air. During migration and winter, common grackles eat mostly grains from farm fields and seeds, particularly corn and acorns. They also eat some fruits.

Common grackles are opportunistic foragers - they take advantage of whatever kind of food they can find. They often follow plows, picking up the grubs that are plowed up, and they even eat human garbage. Adults sometimes steal earthworms from robins. Grackles forage mostly on the ground, though they may also search for food in trees and shrubs. They feed in large flocks, especially in winter. Grackles use their bill, not their feet, to search for food on the ground.

Common grackles have not been seen drinking water. They may get enough water from the foods they eat.

 

[birdofmyheart]

Thank you. Yep I’ve seen this also ... just can’t get him interested in most of those things. Wondering if perhaps there’s a good organically derived pellet food I don’t know of without wheat, soy and sugar. Typical bird pellets on the market seem very unhealthy overall in my opinion.

 

[birdofmyheart]

Also as far as the rules... I understand but as I’ve said unfortunately he was completely imprinted by the time he came to me. I’ve rescued many feathered creatures over the years from fledgling to injured adults, and I have always been able to rehabilitate and release. My first rescue in fact was a fallen fledgling grackle that stayed with me for 9 to 10 months, slowly transitioned to the wild, left to join his flock, migrated and returned to the windowsill the following spring to let us know he was ok. ( It was in the days long before available information on the Internet for exact proper diet, so he sadly did end up with one gouty leg which made him easily recognizable.)

As for my current grackle, he’s had several opportunities to leave and simply feels humans are his family. A friend found him near a lakeside motor home park. He was hanging around the office, begging for food from humans, and trying to get inside the office. After several days of this, he hopped right onto her finger. She brought him home. He would sit on her chest, head and shoulder, cuddle, and would only eat if hand fed. She released him several times over a two to three week period, and the next day always found him back at the office door, begging for food and trying to get inside to be with humans. As she had no prior experience and was not feeding him property, I offered to take him in the hopes that I could rehabilitate and release him. But folks, he’s decided he’s here to stay. I’ve given him several opportunities to leave and it’s a no go. He has the run of the house all day 3000 ft.². Mostly likes to hang out in one sunny room singing his heart out. Bathed toe to three times a day. Eats mostly foraging style. And sleeps snugly in a giant cage at night.

Last year, he caught a toenail in one of the spring doors of the cage, panicked and flailed, and in the ten seconds it took for me to cross the room to free him he broke a leg. We made weekly trips two hours together in the car for six weeks to an avian vet who was impressed with the care I’ve given as shown by his overall vigor, health, sheen and perfect weight. The leg healed completely.

I’d literally do anything for this little guy. Always trying to insure he has the very best. Giant outdoor aviary will be his soon. Attached to a window so he can come and go as he pleases. Anyway just here to see if I can improve his diet. Appreciate all the help, support and advice.

 

[Birdbabe]

They are omnivores, just keep offering what you are, play with it, show it to him, pretend to eat it.. try also cooked oatmeal, scrambled eggs, as for mealworms, at the wildlife rescue we always crush the heads ,,coz they will and do bite on the way down..dont tell anyone you have him.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Have you tried little balls of raw hamburger? Some of the cat foods out now that have no fillers. Try giving him whatever you are having for your meal. Some mixed parrot seed for cockatiels might tempt him.

He sounds like a real sweetheart.

 

[Barbara2]

I had one years ago when I was a child, he absolutely loved chicken legs.. I would give him one (cooked) bone and all. That was his very favorite food. He would eat all the meat off of it than carry the bone around. He was quite a character, loved anything shiny too. Shiny jewelry was his favorite , when he found anything shiny he would fly off with it and bury it in the grass. Great pet and was free to come and go as he wanted. Always stayed close to home.

 

[birdofmyheart]

They are omnivores, just keep offering what you are, play with it, show it to him, pretend to eat it.. try also cooked oatmeal, scrambled eggs, as for mealworms, at the wildlife rescue we always crush the heads ,,coz they will and do bite on the way down..dont tell anyone you have him.

Interesting about the mealworms. I tried superworms and instinctively was cutting the heads off first!