{"id":9802,"date":"2021-10-28T08:24:19","date_gmt":"2021-10-28T08:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=9802"},"modified":"2021-10-30T10:33:01","modified_gmt":"2021-10-30T10:33:01","slug":"when-do-grackles-migrate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/when-do-grackles-migrate\/","title":{"rendered":"When Do Grackles Migrate?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever noticed huge flocks of black birds swarming into your region during the fall and winter? Chances are, these birds<\/a> are grackles migrating to their winter homes further south. So, when do grackles migrate, exactly? What are their migration habits? Keep reading! In this article, we\u2019ll answer these and other questions related to grackle migration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Time of Year Do Grackles Migrate?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"What<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Grackles typically migrate during the late fall and early winter months when heading south; the season tends to peak around October and November most years. In the early spring, around February and March, they begin heading back north. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exact time of migration may depend somewhat on weather patterns and changes from year to year, as grackle flocks may begin their migration later or earlier depending on the weather. They are fairly consistent in their timing if there are no extreme weather pattern shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grackles are not nocturnal, so they tend to travel by day while roosting in large flocks by night. <\/strong>They are very social birds, particularly during the migratory season, as they tend to do everything within the confines of the flock–hundreds of thousands of birds spend their winters together, eating, sleeping, and traveling as a group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do Grackles Always Migrate?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In most areas of the U.S. and southern Canada, grackles are known as short-distance migrants. This means that they do migrate, but they typically don\u2019t go very far from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And even then, not all grackles migrate.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Virtual Nature Trail at Penn State New Kensington<\/a>, those grackles found in southern areas tend to stay in their home regions year round. There is no need to migrate as long as there’s an abundance of food and the temperatures don\u2019t drop to extremes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even the grackles living in northern regions often migrate just far enough south to avoid the most extreme winter conditions. <\/strong>For example, grackles found in the northern U.S. and southern Canada may only migrate as far south as the Great Plains and southern Midwest regions of the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because they don\u2019t migrate very far, their overwintering homes often still receive a lot of snow and cold, which in turn can lead to grackles having a more restricted diet during the winter. While they typically eat lots of insects during warmer weather, they have to rely largely on plant matter such as seeds and grains during the winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Do Grackles Migrate?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As noted above, grackles do not migrate alone. They travel in large groups, during daylight hours.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The large flocks of grackles can make for an impressive sight, as you can see from the video below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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