Flocking and fries: Why black birds crowd Texas parking lots
Have you ever seen huge flocks of black birds crowd Texas parking lots and wondered what attracts them there? Here’s why.
Those big flocks of black birds have a name — greattailed grackles — and they’re likely congregating for one of two reasons: food and flocking. According to Tulsa Audubon Society president John Kennington, grackles, as they’re affectionally called, will eat almost anything since they’re omnivorous.
“They’ll eat seeds, they’ll eat insects, they’ll eat trash,” said Kennington. “They’ll eat french fries. A Mcdonald’s parking lot will always have some grackles there because they’re out looking for free french fries.”
There are two kinds of grackles — the common grackles and the great-tailed grackles. Common grackles come in two colors, purple and bronze. But it’s the great-tailed grackles most commonly seen in shopping centers and fast-food restaurant parking lots.
“There’s a lot of trash around parking lots, so that’s the big attraction, especially for grackles, black birds, house sparrows and perhaps, pigeons (rock doves) is to gather around parking lots because there is a ready source of food there,” said Kennington.
Banding together also offers the birds protection from predators.
“It’s sort of harder for a predator to pick off one bird in a flock than just one bird sitting by itself, because it can confuse the predator,” Kennington said. “So, it’s pretty well-known that flocking helps deter predators.”
According to the National Audubon Society, great-tailed grackles make their habitat in groves, thickets, farms, towns or city parks. They avoid desert situations and look for open and semi-open country specifically lowlands, farmlands, marshes, irrigated fields, suburban lawns or brushy areas.
“A lot of birds show flocking behavior in the wintertime,” Kennington said. “In the summer, birds are very territorial and they space themselves out for the most part because they’re nesting basically.”
Liam Wolff, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies conservation and biodiversity research specialist, said that he’d describe grackles as “gregarious birds,” meaning they enjoy being together in large numbers. He said grackles typically roost at night in parking lots and on power lines nearby.
“Asphalt retains heat better than the ambient air, so grackles are able to stay warm near the asphalt,” Wolff said via e-mail. “Trees and cars provide cover from the elements and safety. There’s also plenty of food available (french fries, pizza crust, etc.) for them to exploit and artificial light sources enable them to forage even after dark.”
Wolff said great-tailed grackles’ history with humans dates back centuries, “all the way back to the Aztecs, who would release them in cities as sacred birds that were not allowed to be harmed.”
Grackles aren’t the only birds that gather in large groups in parking lots. Kennington says people can see starlings, house sparrows and pigeons crowd together, too.
“During the summer parking lots can also attract some other kinds of species that eat bugs, because all of the lights lighting up the parking lot attract bugs,” he said. “So, sometimes you see different types of fly catchers and night hawks in particular are another one that you’ll see flying around parking lots attracted by the bugs that are attracted to the lights.” But, don’t fret. Kennington says there’s no need to worry about a bird attack in a parking lot. He insists with people “disposing their trash poorly” or simply dropping their food, they’re more concerned about their next meal versus human interaction.
“Parking lot grackles is a thing,” said Kennington, laughing. “They’re extremely wellknown for hanging out and at Mcdonald’s in particular. They’ll gobble up any Mcdonald’s french fry or a pizza crust someone tosses out of the window or whatever, they will eat it.”
Kennington says people should expect to see grackles year-round even if they appear more in the winter.
“Food is a little scarcer in the winter, too, out in the wild,” he said. “And people eat at Mcdonald’s year-round. So, Mcdonald’s trash is a year-round thing.”