Grackles are a type of blackbird found throughout North America. The most common species of grackle include the Common Grackle, the Boat-tailed Grackle, and the Great-tailed Grackle. Grackles are social birds that nest in colonies and travel in noisy flocks.
Baby grackles have a very different appearance compared to adult grackles. They are born helpless with closed eyes and very little feathering. As they grow over the first few weeks of life, their feathers start to come in and they develop their adult plumage. By the time they fledge and leave the nest, baby grackles resemble miniature versions of the adults.
What do newborn baby grackles look like?
Newly hatched grackle chicks are altricial, which means they are born helpless with their eyes closed and very little feathers. Here is what newborn grackles look like:
- Eyes are sealed shut at hatching. Their eyes will open around 6-8 days after hatching.
- Their skin is pink and translucent.
- They have only very fine down feathers at hatching which are not very visible.
- Their beak, legs, and feet already have some pigmentation and are not pink like their skin.
- They weigh only around 1.5 ounces at hatching.
- They are not able to hold their head up and have very poor neck control.
Overall, newborn baby grackles are helpless, naked creatures that do not resemble adult grackles at all. They are completely dependent on their parents for food, warmth, and protection.
What do baby grackles look like at 1 week old?
By 1 week of age, baby grackles start to grow more feathers but still do not resemble adults. Here are the characteristics of 1 week old grackles:
- Their eyes are still sealed shut.
- The down feathers on their body are longer and more visible.
- They start growing feathers on their wings.
- Their beak and legs grow longer.
- They gain more strength in their neck and may lift their head briefly.
- They weigh around 2.5-3 ounces.
At 1 week old, their eyes are still closed and their body is covered in fluffy down feathers. Their beak, legs, and wing feathers start to grow in more.
What do 2 week old baby grackles look like?
By 2 weeks of age, baby grackles start to look more like juvenile birds:
- Their eyes open between 6-8 days and are fully open by 2 weeks.
- They have more feathers on their wings, back, and head.
- Their tail feathers start to emerge.
- They start to stand and take clumsy steps around the nest.
- They can hold their head up steadily.
- They weigh around 5 ounces.
At 2 weeks old, their eyes are fully open. They have better control of their neck and can stand up in the nest. More feathers cover the body and their wings and tail start to develop feathers.
What does a 3 week old baby grackle look like?
By 3 weeks of age, baby grackles are covered in juvenile plumage:
- Their body is fully covered in downy feathers.
- Their flight feathers are about halfway grown on their wings.
- Their tail is about half of full adult length.
- They can hop around the nest and perch on branches.
- They start “exercising” their wings in preparation for flight.
- They weigh around 7-8 ounces.
At 3 weeks old, juvenile plumage covers their entire body. Their wings and tail feathers are halfway developed. They gain mobility and start flapping their wings inside the nest.
What does a 4 week old baby grackle look like?
By 4 weeks of age, baby grackles resemble the adult plumage but still have some growing to do:
- Their juvenile feathers are almost fully grown in.
- Their flight feathers are between half to fully grown.
- Their tail is between half to fully grown.
- They flap their wings frequently and may make short flights around the nest.
- They are very active within the nest and surrounding branches.
- They weigh around 9-11 ounces.
At 4 weeks old, their adult plumage is nearly complete. Their wings and tails are closer to full adult size. They are very mobile and active, flapping their wings in preparation for sustained flight.
What does a baby grackle look like right before fledging?
In the days right before fledging and leaving the nest, baby grackles resemble miniature adults:
- Their juvenile plumage is fully emerged, resembling adult grackles.
- Their flight feathers are fully grown in on their wings.
- Their tail is full adult length.
- They frequently hop around branches outside the nest and make short flights.
- They may beg and follow parents around for food.
- They weigh around 11-14 ounces, nearing adult weight.
Right before fledging at 4-5 weeks old, baby grackles have their full set of feathers and are strong fliers. They closely resemble adult grackles but are smaller in size. Their plumage is sleek and iridescent like adults.
How do you tell male and female baby grackles apart?
It is very difficult to tell male and female baby grackles apart by sight. However, there are some small differences:
- Females tend to have slightly less glossy plumage than males.
- Females can have slightly more streaking on their underparts.
- Male tails may grow slightly longer than female tails.
- Male eyes can appear slightly larger.
However, these differences are very subtle. The best way to determine the sex of a baby grackle is through DNA testing. Visual identification is unreliable.
What colors do baby grackles come in?
Baby grackles display amazing color diversity. The colors they come in includes:
- Glossy black
- Dark brown
- Slate gray
- Bronzy and brassy hues
- Purples and deep blues
Their feathers can also have iridescent sheens ranging from coppery to greenish. The extent of iridescence depends on the specific species and individual bird.
Here are some of the common color variations of baby grackles by species:
Species | Common Baby Colors |
---|---|
Common Grackle | Glossy black, bronzy-brown, purple iridescence |
Boat-tailed Grackle | Dark brown, slate gray, brassy iridescence |
Great-tailed Grackle | Black, bronzy-brown, bluish iridescence |
The huge color variety comes from the way light reflects off their precisely arranged feather structures. The colors can shift and change depending on the viewing angle.
How do baby grackles change color as they mature?
Baby grackles go through dramatic color changes as they mature:
- Hatchlings are born pink and naked.
- Down feathers emerge pale gray to brown.
- Juvenile plumage is duller brown and black.
- Adult plumage is glossy black or iridescent.
Their bare skin also goes from pink to dark gray or black as they grow. Here are more details on the color changes:
Age | Color Changes |
---|---|
Hatchling | Pink bare skin, no feathers |
1 week | Pale gray down feathers |
2 weeks | Darker brown juvenile body feathers, gray flight feathers |
3 weeks | Fuller darker brown juvenile plumage |
4 weeks | Adult-like iridescent black colors emerge |
Their feathers and skin get progressively darker as they grow, changing from pink to fully black or iridescent adults. The iridescence also increases with age.
How do you identify baby grackles vs other birds?
There are some key features to help identify baby grackles versus other fledglings:
- Size: Around thrush-sized, slightly smaller and chunkier than robins.
- Shape: Rounded heads, long tails, conical bills.
- Color: Variable shades of black, brown, gray. Iridescence visible up close.
- Behavior: Noisy, beg loudly for food, gather in small flocks.
- Parents: Watch for larger grackle parents feeding them.
Compare to these other fledglings:
Species | Identification Tips |
---|---|
Robins | Paler below, speckled breasts, orange faces |
Red-winged blackbirds | Streaked brown and white, smaller with pointed bills |
Crows | Larger, all black, deeper voices, angular tails |
Starlings | Shorter tails, yellow bills, white speckles |
The key is looking for a thrush-sized fledgling with a long tail and conical bill, likely following grackle parents.
What do baby grackles eat?
Baby grackles eat a diverse diet of insects, fruit, grains, and small animals provided to them by their parents. Here is what you may see adult grackles feeding to their young:
- Insects: Crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, worms, etc.
- Berries: Serviceberries, blackberries, mulberries, etc.
- Fruit: Bananas, oranges, peaches, pears, etc.
- Grains: Corn, oats, wheat, bread, cereal, etc.
- Protein: Eggs, smaller birds, fish, rodents, carrion.
- Leftover human food scraps.
- Nuts and seeds.
Baby grackles beg loudly for food with raspy chirping sounds. They are fed by regurgitation directly into their mouths. Parents can provide up to 400 feedings per day during the most rapid growth phase!
What do baby grackles drink?
Baby grackles get almost all the water they need from their liquid diet provided by their parents:
- Juicy insects and worms.
- Fruit with high water content.
- Regurgitated liquid from parents.
They do not need to drink standing water until closer to leaving the nest. Once fledged, they drink from bird baths and other standing water sources.
How often do baby grackles need to be fed?
Baby grackles need very frequent feedings to support their rapid growth:
- Up to 400 feedings per day at the peak growth phase of 5-10 days old!
- Around 100-200 feedings per day at 2 weeks old.
- Tapering to 6-8 feedings per day right before fledging.
The feedings consist of regurgitated liquid food from the parents direct into the chick’s mouth. The frequent feedings are critical to fuel growth and development.
Conclusion
Baby grackles go through a remarkable transformation from naked, helpless hatchlings to fully feathered fledglings ready to leave the nest. Their colors and features rapidly change as they grow, starting with bare pink skin and progressing to iridescent black plumage. Identifying features like their large size, long tails, and constant begging calls help distinguish them from other baby birds. With frequent and plentiful feedings from devoted parents, grackles develop into their impressive adult forms!