Differences between Grackle and Sparrow

Grackle and Sparrow are two classes of birds that belong to the Icteridae and Passeridae 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.

Sparrows are one of the most commonly found birds in the world. They are petite birds with a round head and small beak that is shaped like a cone. Their plumage is either brown or grey with white streaks. The feather on their belly is usually white. The birds have a long and stiff tail. An interesting fact about Sparrows is that they have a bone in their tongue. As these are perching birds, they have clawed feet with three forward-pointing and one backward-pointing toe. Sparrows are songbirds that make chirping sounds. There are over 140 species of these birds in the world. They are generally classified as Old World species and New World species. Sparrows are mentioned in mythology and the Bible. Their earliest fossils, found in caves in Israel, are dated back to over 100,000 years.

Where are Grackle and Sparrow 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.

Sparrows prefer thick forests, open fields, agricultural farms, and fringes of forests. However, a large population of Sparrows also live in the parks, gardens, and buildings of cities. The Old World species of Sparrows originally belong to Asia, Africa, and Europe. The New World species have been introduced in North America, South America, Australia, and New Zealand.

What do Grackle and Sparrow 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.

Sparrows are omnivores. They largely eat seeds and grains like cereals, wheat, rice, oats, and corn. They also eat insects and worms. Occasionally the birds eat human food refuse.

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

• Grackle do eat Fish while Sparrow may not eat Fish.
• Both Grackle and Sparrow eat Frogs.
• Both Grackle and Sparrow eat Lizards.
• Grackle do eat Snakes while Sparrow may not eat Snakes.
• Neither Grackle nor Sparrow eat Turtles.
• Neither Grackle nor Sparrow eat Squirrels.
• Grackle and Sparrow do not eat Gophers.
• Baby Ducks are commonly eaten by Grackle while Sparrow do not eat Baby Ducks.
• Grackle do eat Mice while Sparrow may not eat Mice.

Size of Grackle and Sparrow?

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 size of Sparrows depends on the species. The average size is however 0.5-0.6 feet in length. Chestnut Sparrow is the smallest Sparrow with a length of 0.4 feet, while the Parrot-billed Sparrow is the largest with a length of 0.59 feet.

Grackles typically weigh between 2.6 and 5 ounces. The Great-tailed Grackles weigh about 9.3 ounces. while The average weight of the Sparrow is 0.84 ounce. The weight of the Chestnut Sparrow is 0.5 ounce and that of the Parrot-billed Sparrow is 1.5 ounce.

Where do Grackle and Sparrow 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.

Sparrows build their nests in holes and cavities of small trees, in shrubs, and buildings. They prefer their nests to be closer to the ground. The nests generally look spherical and measure eight to 10 inches in diameter. The female and male partners construct the nest using straw, twigs, roots, leaves, grass, paper, thread, wool, and feather. The eggs are completely white, or bluish white, or greenish white with brown spots. Both partners incubate the eggs. The eggs hatch in 10-14 days. The young ones that are fed by both parents fledge in about two weeks.

How long do Grackle and Sparrow 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.

Sparrows are known to live for four to seven years. Some species can even live up to 20 years. The House Sparrows live until 23 years in captivity.

Are Grackle or Sparrow 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 Sparrows are migratory. The ones from Canada, North America, northern parts of Europe, and east Asia migrate during winters. The House Sparrows typically do not migrate as they do not encounter harsh weather or scarcity of food in any time of the year. Among the migratory species, American Tree Sparrow migrates from North America and Canada to the USA, while the Savannah Sparrow travels from Alaska to the USA. In northern and central Europe, migration takes place among Eurasian Tree Sparrow that relocates to Africa. The Russet Sparrow is a species from Himalayas that spends its time in south-east Asia during winters.

Do Grackle and Sparrow 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 Sparrows is called a flock. The birds are highly sociable. They live in colonies of about 20 birds, which may even extend to about a 100. The birds are always found in groups, foraging, flying, and roosting together. Their nests are also built next to each other during the breeding season. Sparrows are also intelligent birds. They are known for cooperation and teamwork. The birds work together to find food, build nests, preen feathers, and remove lice and parasites from their skin. They chirp incessantly to let their group know about where they are. As Sparrows are tiny birds, living in large flocks also helps in intimidating the predator and also mobbing the predator if required.

Are Grackle or Sparrow protected?

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

Not all species of Sparrows are protected. For example, the House Sparrow is not protected in the USA. It has partial protection in the UK, where shooting it with a licence is allowed. The species is fully protected in Canada.

Are Grackle or Sparrow 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.

Sparrows are not endangered but their numbers are on a steep decline. Factors affecting the population of Sparrows are loss of habitat, scarcity of food, urbanization, radiation from mobile towers, pollution, use of pesticides in farmlands, and hunting.

Can Grackle and Sparrow 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.

Sparrows fly by taking off directly, flapping their wings, and folding their legs. Their average flying speed is 24-31 miles an hour. The altitude range they can fly at varies for different species. While most of them normally fly at around 500 feet, some fly at around 2,000 feet. During migration they fly 5,000-20,000 feet high and cover 15-600 miles in a day. Sparrows fly in flocks because they are tiny birds and flying in groups supports energy conservation. It will also help them spot and threaten predators. On the ground, Sparrows are commonly seen hopping. They jump forward and backward for scraping mud, leaves, or grass with their toes and search for food underneath.

Can Grackle and Sparrow 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.

Sparrows are not regular swimmers. However, they can swim fast to escape from danger. Some species like the House Sparrow can even swim under water. Sparrows regularly bathe in water, sometimes even in a puddle. They wiggle in water to loosen up the dirt on their feathers and to control body temperature.

Mating patterns among Grackle and Sparrow

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.

Depending on the species, Sparrows start mating when they are five to nine months old. The birds mate in small colonies. During courtship, the male hops around the female with inflated chest, raised tail, and slouched wings. He also chirps and sings for her. The partners copulate until the female can lay eggs. They produce nearly four broods in a breeding season. The female lays one to eight eggs in a clutch. Both partners incubate the eggs and raise the chicks.

When is the mating season for Grackle and Sparrow ?

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 sparrows depends on geography. It can range from March to August. The courtship can begin as early as January.

Do Grackle and Sparrow mate for life?

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

Sparrows mate for life. They remain monogamous throughout their life and return to the same nesting territory every year. When one of the partners is lost or dies, the surviving partner finds another mate within a few days.

How do Grackle and Sparrow sleep?

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

Sparrows roost in large groups while perching on trees. They may even shelter inside tree holes and cavities. They draw together to stay warm on cold nights. Their usual sleeping posture is head tucked inside plumped up feathers.

Can Grackle and Sparrow 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.

Sparrows are widely consumed by people. They are a delicacy in French, Italian, Japanese, and German cuisines. As the law in most countries provide protection only to some species of Sparrows, obtaining the bird meat for food is not restricted.

Can you hunt Grackle or Sparrow?

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.

Sparrows are hunted for their meat. They are considered a pest by farmers, who kill them to save their crops. Hunting Sparrows is allowed in some countries, while killing them with a licence is permitted in few others.

Can you feed Grackle or Sparrow?

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

Sparrows can be fed with a mix of seeds, corn, millets, fruits, and insects.