Differences between Falcon and Grackle

Falcon and Grackle are two classes of birds that belong to the Falconidae and Icteridae families respectively.

Falcons are birds of prey. They are known for their agility and sharp vision. They have superior hunting skills, characterized by quick identification, chase, and capture. Their back, head, and wings are bluish grey, while their neck and belly are white with greyish black markings. The skin around the beak, the legs, and feet are yellow. The beak of Falcons is sharply bent at the tip, where they also have a sharp tooth that helps in killing the prey. The talons on the feet are long, sharp, and curved. The Falcon family includes about 40 species.

Grackles are large Blackbirds. They have purple heads with bronzy brown plumage. Their tails and legs are black and long. The eyes are a bright golden, while the bills are black, long, and slightly curved. The males appear glossier than the females. The birds can make various squeaky and whistling sounds. They are known for their courage. The family of Grackles includes 11 species, of which one is extinct.

Where are Falcon and Grackle found?

Falcons live everywhere where they can find food. They flourish near coastlines, but can be found in river valleys, mountains, deserts, grasslands, and forests too. They exist in all parts of the world, except Antarctica.

Grackles are commonly found in meadows, woodlands, agricultural fields, and fringes of forests. They also live in parks, gardens, and lawn areas in cities. Grackles are distributed in parts of North America, northern USA, and Canada. Mexico is home to six species of the bird.

What do Falcon and Grackle eat?

Falcons are carnivores and chiefly eat other birds, pigeons being their favorite. They prey on birds like doves, gulls, ducks, bats, and waterfowl. Falcons are capable of seizing birds in mid-air. They sometimes also eat fish, frogs, squirrels, mice, and insects.

Grackles are omnivorous. Their diet chiefly comprises of insects, worms, small fish and reptiles, rodents, frogs, small birds, and eggs. They also eat seeds, berries, and fruits.

Here are a few pointers about the eating patterns between Falcon and Grackle

• Both Falcon and Grackle eat Fish.
• Both Falcon and Grackle eat Frogs.
• Both Falcon and Grackle eat Lizards.
• Both Falcon and Grackle eat Snakes.
• Falcon do eat Turtles while Grackle may not eat Turtles.
• Falcon do eat Squirrels while Grackle may not eat Squirrels.
• Gophers are commonly eaten by Falcon while Grackle do not eat Gophers.
• Baby Ducks are consumed by both Falconand Grackle.
• Mice are eaten by both Falcon and Grackle.

Size of Falcon and Grackle?

When it comes to size, Falcons are usually 15-60 centimeters long. Their wingspan could be 74-120 centimeters.. Grackles are 0.99-1.11 feet long. Their wings span 1.18-1.5 feet. The Great-tailed Grackles are one of the largest among the species. They are 1.5 feet long with a wingspan of nearly 1.9 feet.

The average weight of Falcons is 1.5-3.3 pounds. The male birds weigh 0.73-2.20 pounds, while the females weigh 1.5-3.3 pounds. The Gyrfalcon is the heaviest of all species. It weighs 3.3 pounds. while Grackles typically weigh between 2.6 and 5 ounces. The Great-tailed Grackles weigh about 9.3 ounces.

Where do Falcon and Grackle nest?

Falcons do not build their nests. They use tree holes, ledges in cliffs, or discarded nests of other birds to lay their eggs. Both partners engage in incubating the eggs, which hatch in 29-32 days. The young birds will be able to fly when they are about six weeks old. Nevertheless, they stay under their parents’ care till they are about 10 weeks old.

The female Grackle generally builds the nest with some assistance from the male. The nests are huge and usually placed on high coniferous trees. Appearing like large cups, they are made of straw, leaves, twigs, cloth, husk, paper, and similar material. It takes one to six weeks to construct the nests. The eggs are bluish green or grayish white in color with brown spots. The female incubates the eggs for 11-15 days. The young ones fledge 16-20 days after they hatch.

How long do Falcon and Grackle live?

The average lifespan of Falcons is 13 years, although they may live up to 16-20 years in the wild. Many birds die young due to malnutrition. Several adults are also recorded to be dying early because of habitat loss, DDT poisoning, airplane accidents, and environmental issues.

Grackles have an average lifespan of 17 years. However, they can live up to 20 years in the wild. Grackles face threat from predators, worm and parasitical infection besides poisoning by farmers.

Are Falcon or Grackle migratory birds?

Not all Falcons migrate. Peregrines from Alaska and Greenland migrate to USA and South America during winters. The Amur Falcon migrates in winter from Russia and China to India and South Africa. Most other species remain in their habitats throughout the year if the climate is favorable.

Grackles migrate from northern USA, Canada, and the Great Plains to spend winters in southern USA. They travel before October-November and head back north in February-March.

Do Falcon and Grackle fly in flocks?

A group of Falcons is called a cast or cauldron. Falcons are solitary birds. They live, hunt, and migrate alone. They socialize only in the breeding season.

A flock of Grackles is known as a plague. These birds are highly gregarious. They flock amongst their own and other species. They forage and roost in groups. They form larger groups to stay warm during winters, as well while travelling during migration.

Are Falcon or Grackle protected?

Falcons are protected across the world under various laws like Migratory Bird Act, Wildlife Conservation Act, and the International CITES treaty. The vulnerable species are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Grackles are protected under the Migratory Birds Treaty Act in the USA. They are however excluded from conservation laws in Canada.

Are Falcon or Grackle endangered?

Falcons are not endangered. The American Peregrine was classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act in 1970. However, it was removed from the list in 1999. The existence of the bird was threatened owing to DDT poisoning. However, the banning of DDT together with other recovery projects have saved the species from becoming extinct.

Grackles are not endangered birds. The Common Grackle species is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as near threatened. The Slender-billed Grackle is a species that became extinct in the beginning of the 20th century.

Can Falcon and Grackle fly?

Falcons are splendid flyers. They have thin, tapered wings that help them to cut down drag and fly in high speeds. With sharp eyesight, the birds can dive at speeds of nearly 200 miles per hour to capture their prey. The average flying speed of Peregrine Falcons, the fastest animal in the world, is 242 miles an hour. Falcons are solitary travelers that fly about 15,500 miles each year. Amur falcons are the longest migratory birds in the world. They fly over 13,600 miles at a stretch.

Grackles can fly at speeds of 29-39 miles an hour. Their long tails trail behind or are folded in a V shape during flight. The distance they travel during winters is shorter as compared to other birds. It also depends on how far north they live.

Can Falcon and Grackle swim?

Falcons do not swim. The structure of their body and feet are not ideal for swimming. However, some Falcon species dive into water to catch the prey.

Grackles do not have webbed feet but can swim short distances. The younger Grackles paddle well with their wings if they accidentally fall in water.

Mating patterns among Falcon and Grackle

Falcons start mating when they are about two years old. The male performs courtship displays in the air to attract the female. He also fetches preys for the female, who in turn shows her acceptance by perching in a suitable spot. The female typically lays three to four eggs, which are around two inches long and pink or brownish in color. Both partners take turns to incubate the eggs. After the eggs hatch, the female usually sits on the young ones to keep them warm while the male gets food for her. The partners protect the young ones by attacking anything that intimidates them.

Grackles start mating when they are one to two years old. Breeding happens annually, with the partners raising one to two broods each season. The male birds perform courtship flights, dances, singing, and puffing up of feathers to attract the female. They also engage in tail folding that indicate various signals. The female is followed by many male birds that seek her attention. The female lays one to seven eggs in a single breeding season. She incubates them for about 14 days. Once the eggs hatch, both male and female birds share the responsibility of feeding the young ones.

When is the mating season for Falcon and Grackle ?

Falcons are lonely birds that come together only during mating. The mating season depends on the location. It is generally March-July.

The mating season for Grackles is from March-July every year. The birds start forming pairs when they return from migratory sites to their territories in the beginning of spring.

Do Falcon and Grackle mate for life?

Falcons are monogamous and mate for life. They also tend to use the same nest every breeding season.

Grackles are mostly monogamous. They mate for life and come back to the same nesting territory every year.

How do Falcon and Grackle sleep?

Falcons are active during the day, although they may take occasional naps. They sleep during the night while standing on one leg and resting their head on their back.

Grackles roost in groups, usually on large trees. During winters they gather in larger flocks at nights to maintain body temperature.

Can Falcon and Grackle be eaten?

Falcons were eaten in the past in some cultures like Hare and Strait. They ate the bird meat by boiling, frying, or roasting. However, consumption of Falcons is no longer permitted by stringent conservation laws.

Grackles are reported to have been eaten by humans. However, modern laws do not permit killing of these birds for meat or any other purpose.

Can you hunt Falcon or Grackle?

Hunting of Falcons was widespread for sport, falconry, feathers, skin, and meat. Although hunting has reduced due to strict laws, falconry is still practiced in countries like United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Austria.

Hunting and killing of Grackles is prohibited under the law. Nevertheless, some farmers poison them for destroying their crops and farms. In Canada, killing Grackles is not an offence.

Can you feed Falcon or Grackle?

It is illegal to feed wild birds in many countries. However, in countries like the USA, one can own and feed Falcons. The birds are carnivores and should be fed insects, rodents, and ground meat.

Grackles are usually fed with worms, insects, eggs, corn, and millet. Feeding them in public is not allowed in the USA.