38. ~ Grackle ~

The grackle is a member of the blackbird family. The colouring of the grackle is a green/blue or a purple iridescent tinted black body. Their head is very shiny. Boat-tailed and great-tailed grackles have a v-shaped tail which creases in flight. They always appear alert. They some what resemble the phesant. They lay three to four eggs which are spotted and scribbled with purple. The common grackle is larger than the red-winged black bird, and the brown -headed cowbird. Female grackles are smaller than the males, but only slightly. The feathers of the female are not as iridescent and they generally have more brown on them. They are eleven to thirteen inches in length. These birds are truly opportunists. Their call is a "chack" sound. Grackles have a winspan of fourteen to eighteen inches (36 - 46 cm). Grackles are mobbing birds and this does include humans. They have even been spotted in the wild going after a bald eagle. Female grackles are not concerned with the male's tail length or their dominance. They are simply interested in their displays of courtship. Some grackles have been known to dunk their food into water to soften it before eating. Grackles have a very hard palate inside their mouth which is used to crack open foods such as acorns, etc. Grackles are certainly right at home as they wander the parking lots of large stores here in the New Mexico area.

Medicine:

Grackle medicine teaches us that no problem is too big to tackle if we have others by our side to help. Grackle medicine teaches us that sometimes we must say difficult things to others in order for them to grow and learn. Grackles remind us to find a rainbow during dark times. The medicine of the grackle says to add a crisp crease to our clothing and to iron out the wrinkles in our lives. In other words, remember to maintain our appearance at all times.