Differences between Grackle and Owl

Grackle and Owl are two classes of birds that belong to the Icteridae and Tytonidae families respectively.

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.

Owl is a large nocturnal bird. It has a round and flat face with hooked beaks, static eyes, and large ears. Its neck is flexible and can turn over 180 degrees on both sides. This allows the bird to look around and backward even with its fixed eyes. The bird cannot see color but its visual clarity is sharp. Its ears are asymmetrical but acute in discerning sounds from different dimensions. Owl is commonly seen standing in upright position. Its plumage is soft and heavy. The color varies for different species, from grey to brown to reddish brown. The plumage mostly have markings on them, camouflaging the owl amidst dense foliage. The fossils of owls are dated back to over 65.5 million years. At present, there are about 250 species in the Owl family.

Where are Grackle and Owl found?

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.

Owls live in diverse habitats such as forests, mountains, plains, and deserts. The Snowy Owl lives in the frigid regions of North Pole. Species like Great Horned Owl and Barred Owl can be found in cities. Owls can be found in all countries of the world except Antarctica.

What do Grackle and Owl eat?

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.

Owls are carnivorous birds. Their diet depends on food sources in their environment. Owls eat insects, rodents, crabs, snails, small birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles.

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

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

Size of Grackle and Owl?

When it comes to size, 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 owls measure 0.4-2.3 feet in length with a wingspan of 1-6.6 feet. Elf Owl, which is the smallest in the family, is about 0.5 feet tall. Blakiston Fish Owl, the largest Owl species, is 2.3 feet tall.

Grackles typically weigh between 2.6 and 5 ounces. The Great-tailed Grackles weigh about 9.3 ounces. while The weight of Owls varies for different species. Elf Owl weighs about 1.5 ounce, while the large North American Owl weighs about 8.8 pounds.

Where do Grackle and Owl nest?

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.

Owls do not build nests. They use holes in trees, quiet places in barns and buildings, caves, natural cavities in river banks, and nests of other birds to lay their eggs. The female Owl starts incubating the eggs when the first one is laid. She lays eggs two to three days apart. Consequently, the eggs do not hatch synchronously. In the nesting season, the female develops additional feathers, called brood patch, on her belly to provide warmth during incubation. The eggs hatch 32 days after incubation. The young ones fledge when they are six to eight weeks old.

How long do Grackle and Owl live?

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.

The average lifespan of Owls in the wild is five to 12 years. Larger Owls may live longer, sometimes up to 25 years. The oldest Owl, which was a female Great Horned Owl, turned 50 years in 2012. She lived in captivity at the San Francisco Zoo.

Are Grackle or Owl migratory birds?

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.

Not all Owl species are migratory. Some relocate to warmer regions during winters. However, some Owls remain in their territories even in winters. The Great Gray Owl and the Great Horned Owl of Canada are resident species. The Snowy Owl that lives in the North Pole migrates to Canada and USA during winters. In Europe, the Scops Owls migrates to the tip of the Sahara Desert. The Short-Eared Owl is another migratory Owl from India that travels long distances, sometimes even crossing oceans.

Do Grackle and Owl fly in flocks?

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.

A group of Owls is called a parliament. Owls are extreme loners and prefer solitary existence. They rarely flock aside the breeding season. They sometimes roost in small groups or in pairs for warmth in cold temperatures.

Are Grackle or Owl protected?

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

Owls are protected in most countries like the USA, UK, India, Canada, and Japan. They do not enjoy protection in some countries, while in some others only the endangered species are protected.

Are Grackle or Owl endangered?

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.

Some species of Owls are endangered and face threat of extinction. These include Pernambuco Pygmy Owl, Siau Scops Owl, Forest Owl, Moheli Scops Owl, Congo Bay Owl, and Long-Whiskered Owlet. The population of Owls is threatened by loss of habitat, lack of food sources, hunting, and climate change.

Can Grackle and Owl fly?

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.

Owls are known to fly without making any sound. The comb-like design on the edges of their feathers and their large wings enable them to fly noiselessly. They fly slowly, without flapping their wings too much. Some species of Owls fly at a speed of just two miles an hour, while the faster species can reach 40 miles per hour.

Can Grackle and Owl swim?

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.

Owls are not natural swimmers. They do not have webbed feet. However, they can manage to swim if they happen to accidentally fall in water.

Mating patterns among Grackle and Owl

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.

Owls start mating when they are two to three years old. During the mating season, the male and female Owls perform mating dances. They also hoot mating calls that boost their bond and keep away other Owls from their territory. The male may get a prey as offering to the female to woo her. In some species, partners may engage in giggling and snapping of bills as part of mating ritual. The female may lay one to 15 eggs in a breeding season, however not all at once. It is her responsibility to lay eggs, incubate and hatch them. Once the chicks are born, the male may fetch food for them and give it to the female.

When is the mating season for Grackle and Owl ?

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.

The mating season for Owls is generally spring every year. However, some species mate during winter months.

Do Grackle and Owl mate for life?

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

Owls are devoted partners. They mate for life. They also use the same nesting site year after year.

How do Grackle and Owl sleep?

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

Owls are nocturnal birds. They sleep either on trees or on the ground while standing and keeping their eyes closed. Most species are awake during the night when they hunt. They mostly sleep during the day.

Can Grackle and Owl be eaten?

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.

Humans are not known to have consumed Owls. The birds do not have much meat on them. Their taste is known to be unpalatable.

Can you hunt Grackle or Owl?

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.

Owls are typically not hunted. Only in cases when they cause trouble, people hunt them or capture them and release them in the wild. Hunting or harming Owls is not allowed in many countries.

Can you feed Grackle or Owl?

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

Most countries do not permit owning or feeding of Owls. In captivity, the birds are fed rodents, chicken, meat, and worms.