Grackle with head up

The Whole Foods parking lot is a good place to see great-tailed grackles, Quiscalus mexicanus, and on June 29th I found this one on the ground by the picnic tables just outside the Gateway store. Birds of this species seem to like sticking their heads up into the air to try to lord it over any would-be rival, which is what this grackle might have taken me for. Or maybe it mistook my camera, with its long lens, for the rival.

If you’d like to read a lighthearted and informative article about grackles, here’s one from Texas Monthly by John Nova Lomax entitled “Eight Reasons Grackles Are Awesome.”

© 2015 Steven Schwartzman