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Grackle

Kgaerner

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Hi, I’m new in here and am wondering if anyone has any experience in raising wild grackles? I have been raising a nestling turned now fledgling for the last 3 weeks. She is doing very good and is flying already around my yard. She has started to eat the meal worms I give her on her own, but everything else(cat food, berries etc) she still comes to me for. I originally thought I would have her just a few days, But it will be 3 weeks tomorrow, so I was wondering how long she will expect me to feed her for? It’s been quite the experience, she is a lot of work, I don’t mind doing it, but I really want to be able to set her free, I’m just not sure when the right time is. She is getting very attached to me C851D895-2D91-4ABA-BC1D-A066D27423BB.jpeg
 

mak

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I must admit I have never heard of or seen such a bird in my life!
What area of the world are you in?
 
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Zara

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Kgaerner

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I must admit I have never heard of or seen such a bird in my life!
What area of the world are you in?
I’m from CT, USA lol they are everywhere, they are a type of black bird. Pretty invasive bird, and from what I’ve been Recently learning is, people don’t like them very much.. I try not to discriminate, I just want to be able to release her :)
 

mak

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I am originally from the Chicago area and there we used to have crows. Then about 18-20 years ago they mostly died from west nile virus. (Then the rabbit population exploded).
 
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Kiwi & Co.

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I'm from CT too! I never see many grackles near my house, but I went to Florida once and they were everywhere!

I'm not sure If you're actually allowed to release invasive species, you might have to keep her as a pet.
 
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Ali

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She is really cute, and smaller than I thought from your initial picture!

I agree you may need to keep her if it is invasive, but you may have to apply or contact the local wildlife authority yo see what they say.
 

Monaco

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I really like grackles! They may be pests sometimes, but they're native (not invasive) and you'll probably have a yard bird for as long as she enjoys it there.
 

Kgaerner

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Yeah, I probably worded that wrong. I meant more of a nuisance bird than anything. I take her out as much as possible, she flies around a little bit, usually when she is hungry she comes looking for me. I was just wondering how long the parents feed the babies after they are out of the nest? She’s been flying for about a week now. But when she hangs around on the ground, she has no sense of lurking dangers. I feel like if I release her right now, she would be a sitting duck for any predator that comes along
 

Kgaerner

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I'm from CT too! I never see many grackles near my house, but I went to Florida once and they were everywhere!

I'm not sure If you're actually allowed to release invasive species, you might have to keep her as a pet.
Sorry, but I meant more of a nuisance bird. There is a colony of them in a row of evergreens that line my property. I think one of the nest were destroyed in one of the rain storms we had a few weeks ago. I found her in my yard, she squawked for hours. I finally took her in at dusk and started to research what kind of bird she is and so on. I’m learning as I go lol ps is your name Michelle?
 

Birdbabe

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You may have a freind, she looks to you as food and mom..if there are others in the area she may or may not join them. You must decide, when she's out,, watch her from a distance,,see if she interacts, foraging, communicating with the local flock.
 
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Dartman

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Because they are non native invasive species they are legal as pets as far as I know. You might want to keep her as she's imprinted on you and will probably have a hard time being a wild bird, plus she probably isn't afraid of people now and that could be bad for her. We raised a baby house finch and she bonded to us so we kept her and she got a extra year and a half she wouldn't have as we rescued her from a crow who was going to make her dinner. The crow was fine...
Either way I don't think anybody will care that you have a grackle and many places would probably put her down if she was brought in to rehab.
 
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Toy

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According to info the parents would continue to feed the chick for several weeks after it fledged (left the nest). During this time they teach the chick to find food, learn dangers, etc.. Diet wise they eat just about anything from seeds to fruit to minnows to frogs, snakes, etc.

I'd suggest setting up a feeding station & set the bird on it when other Grackles may be around. Hopefully they will come & show her she is a Grackle & she will adapt to her natural ways. They longer she is with you the more imprinted she will become. Once she reaches a point you think she is old enough to be on her own slowly stop offering food. Hopefully she will have learned from other Grackles & leave with them.
 

Toy

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Because they are non native invasive species they are legal as pets as far as I know. You might want to keep her as she's imprinted on you and will probably have a hard time being a wild bird, plus she probably isn't afraid of people now and that could be bad for her. We raised a baby house finch and she bonded to us so we kept her and she got a extra year and a half she wouldn't have as we rescued her from a crow who was going to make her dinner. The crow was fine...
Either way I don't think anybody will care that you have a grackle and many places would probably put her down if she was brought in to rehab.
It's not legal to keep any wild native bird as a pet in the USA. They are all protected under Federal Law. Technically under the Federal Law we aren't even supposed to help them, except for transport to a rehabber. Only licensed rehabbers can house, feed, care for & eventually release back into the wild if possible.
 

Dartman

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OK, I looked it up just to be sure and in the USA this is what it says about non protected bird
All wild birds (except pigeons, English sparrows and starlings) are protected by federal and state laws. You may not trap, kill or possess protected species without federal and state permits
So yep, you can't keep a Grackle.
 

Kgaerner

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According to info the parents would continue to feed the chick for several weeks after it fledged (left the nest). During this time they teach the chick to find food, learn dangers, etc.. Diet wise they eat just about anything from seeds to fruit to minnows to frogs, snakes, etc.

I'd suggest setting up a feeding station & set the bird on it when other Grackles may be around. Hopefully they will come & show her she is a Grackle & she will adapt to her natural ways. They longer she is with you the more imprinted she will become. Once she reaches a point you think she is old enough to be on her own slowly stop offering food. Hopefully she will have learned from other Grackles & leave with them.
Thanks, that is what I’ve been doing. I try to give her a couple hours a day of free range in the yard. We have lots of grackles around, I’m really hoping she takes off with one of them. She is eating meal worms on her own, but that is about it, I have to feed her everything else, and she is one hungry bird, Hungry every hour on the hour at least
 
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