Imagine 5pm traffic, busy highway, just under 100 degrees and fire ants...

... THAT is what this lil thing had to endure for God knows how long on Friday. Sitting in the typical heat of the Texas day during rush hour I noticed this Zanate mexicano, Sanate/Clarinero... that is Spanish for the more commonly known Great-Tailed Grackle.  

 He (or she) was so weak and malnourished that I had to feed him a very small amount every 45 minutes so that his little body could handle it. I am now feeding him every 2 hours and filling his crop (the little reserve that birds have to allow them to digest their food). I am surprised he has lived this long... yet, I wonder if he will end up another "Nick" - our beloved crippled Cotton Rat that survived against all odds last June. THAT is a whole other story for those that might be interested...
But back to the this little guy...

Most of you, if I had to guess do not pay much attention to this species, the Great-Tailed Grackle. Yes you can look them up on the internet, but I dare say you won't find much about their behavior, with exception of the negative rantings about damaged crops, complaints about how noisy they are, and how much of a pest species this bird is to the 'oh-so-perfect' human population. Although I may not be considered authorized to speak about the behavior of these birds by some higher education brick and mortar, I certainly have spent countless hours observing these interesting creatures. They are very curious, trusting, and intelligent birds. As juveniles they spend the hot summer afternoons playing with one another, picking up objects in their beaks such as a pinecone, a flower, or a stick and running across the yard so that their playmates will try to take it from them. They investigate everything; looking under, over, behind, and above anything that comes across their path. I have seen these birds litterally bounce on a tree limb like it was a birdy trampoline. They play fight with wings flapping and talk to one another in their 'clicking' tongue. They alert each other when I step out the door... not because I am danger but because I bring dinner (dog food). There are a few who we have given names... Huey being one of my favorites. This bird (along with many others) will walk within 2 feet of me asking for a treat. He bathes in the dog's (Diesel) water bowl and hangs out on the patio sunbathing. If you haven't seen these birds sunbathing... imagine them spreading every feather, posing with their wings spread and looking up to the sun and stuck in that position. They look crazy... I will take a picture one day and share. When it comes to danger... these birds take care of one another. They alert with loud clicks and duck under brush, dash into the garage, or swoop behind a flower pot. This happens all the time in my backyard because of the local hawks that think my home is a buffet due to the amount of birds that frequent here. Finally a short note about the love life of the Great-Tailed Grackle... talk about macho men, these boys think they are the crème de la crème! They puff up, stick their beaks up in the air, strut their glistening oil-like feathers like no one's business... all for the attention of a rather dull-looking lady.

So without getting too wordy to make my point... these birds are interesting if you can pull yourself away from the bad press, slow down, and watch them in action.

I will keep you updated on this little fella... again, it is likely that the poison he took on by the ants and the conditions I found him in will conquer his will, but that remains a mystery. The interesting thing will be if he does survive is whether or not this 'face that only a human mother will love' will turn out a flashy iridescent male or a simple yet pretty in brown female.

Catch you all the next time... Thanks for reading!  ~T~