• Grackles are often considered pest birds due to their loud vocalizations, aggressiveness, large congregating groups and the mess they leave behind with their droppings.
• Grackles are frequently a nuisance at restaurant patios and resorts - they steal food from peoples' dinner plates and leave their droppings on people and their tables.
• Grackles are known to raid farm crops, particularly corn and other grains.
• Flocks of grackles are called a plague.
• Grackles are quite intelligent and have been seen using tools to crack open hard nuts to get the seed inside, much like crows do.
• Grackles can imitate sounds, including human speech and mechanical noises.
• They play a beneficial role in the ecosystem as grackles help control the insect populations and are a part of the food chain.

Grackle Classification

Grackles are an interesting classification of birds that are part of the songbird group, the Icteridae family, which also includes orioles, blackbirds, cowbirds and meadowlarks. These medium sized birds have a beautiful iridescent plumage, aggressive behaviour, and are very adaptable to the environment they are in. They are found mainly in North and Central America, in cities, urban area, country settings, especially wetlands and agricultural area. In spite of their sometimes contentious reputation, these birds play an important role in the ecosystems they live in.

Harris Hawks (Parabuteo Unicinctus) are a favourite in the world of falconry due to their unique social behaviour, versatility and adaptability. Harris hawks are found in the southwestern United Sates, Mexico, and down into South America. They are the most frequently captive bred species of raptor used in falconry today.

Why are Harris' Hawks a Favorite for Falconers?

• Harris' Hawks are easy to train;
• Harris' Hawks are fast and athletic;
• Harris' Hawks have excellent situational awareness;
• Harris' Hawks are capable of the most complex and varied flight styles when handled by an expert master falconer;
• Their unique social behaviors make them more inclined to cooperate with others (the falconer, dogs, etc.).

Behavior and Social Structure

While most raptors are solitary hunters, harris hawks are known for their cooperative hunting tactics. They often hunt and live together in groups - usually family groups. One or two of them will flush out prey while the others in the group will actually take that prey down. This greatly increases their hunting success. Their social structure is rare among raptors. They. have been known to perform a unique behavior called “stacking” or “Back stacking” where they stand on top of each other in a stack of up to 4, or even sometimes 5 birds high. This may happen when there may not be enough suitable perches for them all to stand on their own, or when they want to gain a better vantage point to see prey or predators. They may do this for shade where the birds on top will spread their wings to shade those beneath them.