The Common Grackle is a bird that I was not familiar with before I came to Houston. They are one of the things that make Houston visually memorable for me.
These beautiful and noisy birds really take over the city at a certain hour in the evening. They congregate together in groups known as “plagues”.
Some insight from Ogden Nash:
The grackle’s voice is less than mellow,
His heart is black, his eye is yellow,
He bullies more attractive birds
With hoodlum deeds and vulgar words,
And should a human interfere,
Attacks that human in the rear.
I cannot help but deem the grackle
An ornithological debacle.
![IMG_4245b](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5191201720_f6bbc303a3_z.jpg)
![IMG_4257](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4152/5191201702_5fedd9d487_z.jpg)
![IMG_4255](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/5191201676_e73fd9636c_z.jpg)
![IMG_4248](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/5191201644_7dea377d8e_z.jpg)
![IMG_4246](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/5191201630_027b5e8ed6_z.jpg)
![IMG_4238](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4088/5191201530_3dcfdf382a_z.jpg)
![IMG_4259](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/5190604977_e4e6009eb1_z.jpg)
![IMG_4264](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4128/5191201494_9c1acb47cd_z.jpg)
![IMG_4265](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5191201480_a3740ffecf_z.jpg)
![IMG_4266](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5190604747_8fa7481579_z.jpg)
This is a beautiful video from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo:
Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.