Reproduction

Nest Type

The Common Grackle makes a cup-like nest out of various materials including bark, fishing line, tape, stems, leaves, and grass. The nest is usually lined with fine grasses, hair, or mud and placed in a tree (usually a small conifer) on a limb or between two branches.

Egg Description

Common Grackle eggs are a smooth texture and usually a light blue or gray in color. While some eggs are spotless, they also can have blackish brown speckles concentrated at the larger end.

Clutch Size

Common Grackle clutches usually consist of 5 or 6 eggs. The eggs are incubated by the female for 12 to 14 days.

Hatchlings

The altricial young (hatch helpless, naked with eyes closed) stay in the nest for 16 – 20 days and are fed by both the male and female. Even after the hatchlings have left the nest, they are fed by the parents for a number of weeks.