grackle
Glossy dark songbird
A grackle is a medium-sized North American blackbird with iridescent plumage that shifts between purple, green, and bronze in sunlight.
Grackles are gregarious and noisy, often gathering in large flocks that descend on lawns, parking lots, and bird feeders.
Their harsh, creaking calls and bold scavenging make them familiar—and to some, unwelcome—suburban birds.
Vivid-plumed passerine
- meadowlarkGround-nesting prairie songbird
- cowbirdBrood-parasitic passerine
- bobolinkNorth American meadow songbird
- starlingGlossy gregarious passerine
crow · raven · sparrow · robin · feathers · beak · wings · tail
Tremulous, wavering light
- sheenSoft surface luster
- glossShine or annotation
- lusterSoft reflected light
- opalescenceMilky, shifting luster
metallic · glossy · gleaming · purple · bronze · blue-black · prismatic · rainbow
Harsh grating bird cry
- chatterLight, rapid speech
- screechHigh, harsh cry
- whistleShrill air-blown sounder
- creakHarsh, squeaky noise
raspy · harsh · shrill · piercing · raucous · cacophony · clamor · din
Commercial refuse container
- fast-foodRapidly prepared meals
- sidewalkPaved pedestrian pathway
- parkPublic leisure grounds
- lawnTended yard grass
suburb · city · pavement · rooftop · scavenger · opportunist · pest · nuisance
oriole
Vivid-plumed passerine
- meadowlarkGround-nesting prairie songbird
- cowbirdBrood-parasitic passerine
- bobolinkNorth American meadow songbird
starling · crow · raven · sparrow · robin · feathers · beak · wings · tail · plumage
shimmer
Tremulous, wavering light
opalescence · metallic · glossy · gleaming · purple · bronze · blue-black · prismatic · rainbow · spectral
squawk
Harsh grating bird cry
creak · raspy · harsh · shrill · piercing · raucous · cacophony · clamor · din · vocalization
dumpster
Commercial refuse container
lawn · suburb · city · pavement · rooftop · scavenger · opportunist · pest · nuisance · adaptable
murmuration
Starlings in coordinated flight
- congregationAssembled group of worshippers
- swarmMass of moving insects
- roostBird's sleeping spot
gathering · throng · multitude · horde · troop · mob · convocation · assembly · cluster · skein
- IcteridsBaltimore oriole, western meadowlark, bobolink, meadowlark, oriole
- birdsrobin, crow, eagle, owl, duck
- black birdscrow, raven, black vulture, common raven, American crow
- landbirdsrobin, sparrow, crow, wren, finch
- nesting birdsrobin, sparrow, wren, swallow, finch
- pestsants, ant, bugs, cockroach, cockroaches