tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6337820950786353518.post4305945771964543555..comments2024-02-18T08:39:49.773-08:00Comments on Northern Illinois Birder: Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirdsjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061880466896183822noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6337820950786353518.post-15711646189292247382011-04-26T18:14:18.667-07:002011-04-26T18:14:18.667-07:00I don't know what kind of advice to give you. ...I don't know what kind of advice to give you. I am not a bird expert. Being just a an half hour east from you, they certainly are common in our area. The little bit of reading that I have done about grackles point to humans as their biggest eneemy - especially farmers who categorize grackles as pests in their grain fields. Also foxes and raccoons feed off of birds eggs and young, and Brown-headed Cowbirds lay their eggs in other birds nests, where the Cowbirds' young then crowd the other birds' young out of the nest. Perhaps it is a combination of all these, or they are around, but aren't out in the open, but this seems unlikely as they tend to feed out in the open.jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10061880466896183822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6337820950786353518.post-33235181750210239592011-04-26T06:27:11.012-07:002011-04-26T06:27:11.012-07:00I have not seen a grackle in Freeport, Illinois si...I have not seen a grackle in Freeport, Illinois since '09. I have seen cowbirds, starlings, and red wings. <br /><br />Please advise, ------- D.G.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6337820950786353518.post-67965832356685728612011-04-04T07:17:26.796-07:002011-04-04T07:17:26.796-07:00For how annoying these birds can be, they sure hav...For how annoying these birds can be, they sure have some great color against that black!Chesneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05069341112561138556noreply@blogger.com