So interesting that this is posted here today. I’ve had a single grackle
hanging around this week in my yard. Yesterday when it came to the water on
the deck, I took a few photos. I realized it had red on its beak. First
wondered what berries it had eaten. Zoomed in and saw it also had bitty
feathers around its bill. Yikes. Nature is harsh!
Lottie Bushmann
Columbia
On Sat, Jan 24, 2026 at 7:30 PM Michael Grant <mikecurlew...> wrote:
> I have taken video in my backyard of a grackle killing and eating a house
> finch in the winter.
>
> This was several years ago.
>
> Mike Grant
> Chesterfield, MO
>
> On Jan 24, 2026, at 5:18 PM, John and Linda Frederick <
> <frederickjohnandlinda...> wrote:
>
>
> I once saw a meadowlark eating another bird, also during severe cold
> weather.
> (I presumed the meadowlark didn't kill the bird, but don't know for sure.)
>
> Linda Frederick
> Rolla MO
>
>
> On Sat, Jan 24, 2026, 6:36 PM Ronda Sherrill <
> <000005658b1405fc-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>
>> The other day a mixed flock of blackbirds showed up at my yard east of
>> Joplin and came close to the front porch in late afternoon so that I could
>> clearly see the rusty area around head and mantle on a few of them.
>> But today a weird sight under front yard feeders: a grackle was eating a
>> house finch! I didn’t arrive in time to see how the finch died, whether by
>> grackle attack or he froze to death. But I didn’t realize a grackle would
>> eat another bird. There have been large numbers of several species in this
>> severe cold. Ronda (Sherrill) Brown
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Jan 24, 2026, at 6:05 PM, Susan Eaton <susiede...> wrote:
>>
>>
>> I had one Rusty Blackbird at my feeders this afternoon!
>>
>> Susan Eaton
>> <Susiede...>
>> STL CO MO
>>
>> On Sat, Jan 24, 2026 at 4:55 PM Kirk Suedmeyer <
>> <00000537a8cbbe82-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>>
>>> Good afternoon all!!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Had a difficult time differentiating this bird from a Brewers due to the
>>> falling snow, lack of sunlight, etc., but pretty sure it is a Rusty
>>> blackbird-long slender bill, yellow-eyed black bird. If I’m wrong, it’s a
>>> Brewers, either of which would be FOY! 😊 Only one individual amongst
>>> white throated sparrows, numerous cardinals, house sparrows and juncos.
>>> Videos on Flickr
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Also uploaded videos of female green winged teal (Swope Park), Adult and
>>> Immature Herring gulls from the 19th at Longview lake as well as common
>>> mergansers, coots, pied billed grebe, and a very cool immature coopers (it
>>> hunts the feeders and finally got video!!!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/ksuedmeyer/ >>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *Wm. Kirk Suedmeyer, DVM, Dipl. ACZM *
>>>
>>> Board Certified Specialist in Zoological Medicine*TM*
>>>
>>> Director of Veterinary Health & Conservation Research
>>>
>>> Kansas City Zoo
>>>
>>> 6800 Zoo Dr, Kansas City, MO 64132
>>> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/6800+Zoo+Dr,+Kansas+City,+MO+64132?entry=gmail&source=g> >>> O: (816) 595-1261
>>> F: (816) 595-1797
>>>
>>> E: <kirksuedmeyer...>
>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>> *Please consider before printing this email or attachments.*
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