{"id":9797,"date":"2021-10-27T09:19:24","date_gmt":"2021-10-27T09:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=9797"},"modified":"2021-10-30T10:34:53","modified_gmt":"2021-10-30T10:34:53","slug":"why-do-grackles-look-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/why-do-grackles-look-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do Grackles Look Up?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever looked outside and seen a group of grackles<\/a> appearing to look up at the sky? If so, you\u2019re probably wondering about this strange behavior, and contrary to what you may believe, they aren\u2019t looking at the sky to try and figure out what the weather is going to do. So, why do grackles look up? Keep reading! In this article, we\u2019ll answer this question and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Do Grackles Look Up Toward the Sky?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Why<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you see a grackle with its beak pointing straight up, it isn\u2019t really trying to get a look at the sky; its eyes are on the sides of its head so it can\u2019t see the sky unless it tilts its head to the side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the beak is pointing straight up, the bird is engaging in a unique mating ritual called \u201cbill tilt.\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grackles will point their bills toward the sky and stick out their chest as a means of establishing dominance. They perform these actions while attempting to win the attention of a certain female or to scare off another male.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But why do they do this? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Female grackles prefer to mate with dominant males, so males will attempt to establish dominance over each other so they can have their choice of available females. The beak tilt ritual is an instinctive activity to preserve the species, as those who are the strongest tend to produce stronger, more dominant offspring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So basically, the birds are competing with each other when they do the bill tilt.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grackles will typically do the bill tilt only when there are more males than females or when multiple males are trying to win one specific female. Sometimes, the bill tilt is also done when new birds, whether male or female, arrive in the flock. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, multiple males will engage in the practice at once; they will try to see who can hold on for the longest period of time pointing their beak in the air. Sometimes females compete in the ritual as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entire ritual usually lasts no longer than several seconds, and once a bird has established dominance by winning, it rarely competes again.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gradually, those who cannot tilt their bill as high or as long will start to drop out of the competition. The one remaining at the end is seen as the dominant one and typically wins the female.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may see grackles performing this behavior at your bird feeder or while interacting with other grackles in your yard. On rare occasions, the birds may get aggressive while doing the bill tilt, but usually, the ritual is peaceful–a way of establishing dominance without risking injury or death to others of the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Do Grackles Puff Up?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may have noticed grackles fluffing out their feathers while communicating, eating, or engaging in other behaviors<\/a>. But what does this particular behavior indicate?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, grackles will simply puff out their feathers while talking to each other, as shown in the video below.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gTicoX3uO9U<\/a>