Common Grackles are now nesting in cattails around marsh ponds here and guarding those nests from surrounding high spruce trees, as you can see from these images taken yesterday.
Approaching these areas will result in a cacophony of threatening “chucks” and “chacks,” as well as a multitude of unique Grackle curses. Their strange name reportedly comes from its Latin root, “Gracula,” which either referred to one of the calls made by Grackles or the European Crow named a Jackdaw.
Some people call these birds “blackbirds,” which they often are in certain light. However, Grackles share a trait with male Peacocks: they have reflectors within their feathers that are spaced and shaped to create an array of iridescent hues, especially in bright light. Basically, the effect enhances some color wavelengths that produce purple-, blue-, and bronzy brown-colored refractions of light and blocks others. (Brooklin, Maine)