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Common Grackle

Common Grackle line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Common Grackle illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Common Grackle was completed on 1.24.2011. I know that in generally people tend to not like Grackles, and they have something of a bad reputation. I suppose because they're opportunistic feeders, and don't have a very pleasant 'call.' But looking at them, I find the glossy-iridescent coloration of blues, purples, black and gold in their feathers to be really lovely. The drawing is based on a photo by Les Picolo.

Information about the Common Grackle:

The Common Grackle is a common bird native to the much of the eastern 2/3rds of North America. They are clever foragers, and being omnivorous they can find a meal nearly anywhere. They will even steal food from other birds and eagerly scoop up food dropped by humans. They often congregate into very large groups - sometimes referred to as a 'Plague of Grackles.' Because of the grackles fondness for grains, and that clearing the forests helped this bird expand it's range, it is considered a pest by many. They are frequently preyed upon by birds of prey such as hawks.