Differences between Crow and Grackle

Crow and Grackle are two classes of birds that belong to the Corvidae and Icteridae families respectively.

Crow is a large bird with incredible intelligence. It is characterized by shiny black plumage and dark legs. Its beak, eyes, wings, and tail are all black. The bird has four toes on each foot. Crows are particularly known for their cleverness. They have great discerning abilities and have excellent self-control. They can make their own tools, solve problems, remember faces, mimic sounds, and prank other animals. They are also trainable. There are around 40 species of crows across the world.

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 Crow and Grackle found?

The natural habitat of Crows include grasslands, forests, mountains, agricultural regions, and deserts. They like locations where there are trees. However, these birds are highly adaptable and exist everywhere. They are common sight even in big cities. Crows can be found in all parts of the world. The exceptions are South America and 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 Crow and Grackle eat?

Crows are omnivores. They are both predators and scavengers. They can eat anything. They eat rodents, reptiles, small mammals, worms, insects, and eggs besides grains, fruits, nuts, and human food.

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 Crow and Grackle

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

Size of Crow and Grackle?

When it comes to size, The size of crows varies for different species. Jackdaw Crow is the smallest with a length of 13-15 inches and wingspan of 27 inches. Thick-billed Raven is the largest among the species. It is 28 inches long with a wingspan of 45 inches.. 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.

Thick-billed Raven is the largest among crow species. It weighs 2.5-3.3 pounds. On the other hand, the weight of Jackdaw Crow, the smallest Crow, is eight ounces. while Grackles typically weigh between 2.6 and 5 ounces. The Great-tailed Grackles weigh about 9.3 ounces.

Where do Crow and Grackle nest?

Crows build their nests in colonies. The male and female partners start building their nest about a month before the breeding season. Their offspring from previous breeding seasons assist them in nest building. The nests are constructed intellectually, with stronger material laid at the bottom for reinforcement. Crows use all kinds of material available around them to construct the nests. They would include twigs, sticks, hay, plant material, aluminium and copper wire, plastic threads, and wood pieces. The nests are usually placed in tall trees and hidden between trunks for improved safety. However, in cities, crows make their nests in inaccessible parts of tall buildings and billboards. The female incubates the eggs for about 18 days, during which time her partner and other offspring feed her. The newly hatched chicks fly when they are about four weeks old but continue to be fed by their parents and siblings for a longer time. The younger ones live with their parents until they start breeding on their own and sometimes even until they are five years 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 Crow and Grackle live?

The average lifespan of Crows is 11-15 years in the wild and over 20-30 years in captivity. Again, this is dependent on the species and the location they live in. Crows in North America are known to live over 30 years.

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 Crow or Grackle migratory birds?

Crows are partially migratory. Those in southern hemisphere are mostly residents. While some birds migrate short distances during winters, some others stay put even in frigid temperatures. Some of them may migrate to breed and some may travel to escape increased urbanization.

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 Crow and Grackle fly in flocks?

A flock of Crows is called a murder. Crows are sociable birds. They live in groups of varying sizes and always roost in flocks. The birds also have their own families consisting of two to 15 members. Different families communicate and cooperate with each other.

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 Crow or Grackle protected?

Crows are protected in many countries under various schemes and laws for wildlife conservation and protection of migratory birds. Harming Crows or their nests is a punishable offence in these places. However, in countries like Canada there is no law to protect Crows.

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

Are Crow or Grackle endangered?

Crows are not endangered birds although their numbers are reducing owing to habitat loss, persecution by farmers, and widespread urbanization. The Hawaiian Crow is extinct in the wild. Restoration activities to increase their population is in progress. Similarly, numbers of Mariana Crow are dropping since 1960s with only a few of them remaining now. They are listed as critically endangered. Efforts to conserve them are underway.

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 Crow and Grackle fly?

Crows usually fly along the same lines every day. They are joined by their flocks as they fly for hunting or towards their roosting sites. They can fly at a speed of 30-60 miles an hour. During migration, some species travel up to 1,740 miles.

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 Crow and Grackle swim?

Crows are not waterbirds. They do not have webbed feet and their body structure does not allow them to swim. They may be able to float on shallow waters by flapping their wings.

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 Crow and Grackle

Crows reach sexual maturity when they are two to four years old. The mating displays generally take place on the ground. The male bird ruffles his feathers and makes bowing movements while facing the female. He also makes soft coos to attract her attention. Most partners share their mating territories with their children from previous breeding seasons. The female usually lays two to six eggs in a clutch. The eggs hatch after about 18 days.

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 Crow and Grackle ?

The mating season for Crows is usually March-July. It varies slightly in different continents.

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 Crow and Grackle mate for life?

Crows are monogamous. They mate with the same partner each year. Only in the case of death or indisposition of one partner does the other seek a different mate.

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

How do Crow and Grackle sleep?

Crows usually roost in colonies. They sleep on top of tree while standing up. The birds generally sleep when the sun sets and wake up little before sunrise.

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

Can Crow and Grackle be eaten?

Crows are eaten in some cultures. Native Americans and Lithuanians eat them in frenzy. Eating Crow meat is permitted in many countries across the world.

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 Crow or Grackle?

Crows are hunted for different reasons, such as for sport and meat. They are also killed by farmers for destroying their crops. The birds are not protected everywhere. Countries like the USA allow killing of Crows with a permit or outside of the nesting season.

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 Crow or Grackle?

Feeding Crows in public is discouraged in places like Singapore, Canada, and Dubai. However, feeding Crows is a ritualistic practise in some cultures of south Asia. In captivity, Crows are given worms, mice, eggs, and meat.

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