On Wed, Jul 7, 2010 at 4:37 PM, Renee Tressler <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

>
> Many people I've met do not like common grackles and believe the nursery
> rhyme about blackbirds being in a pie (forget the name - am outside working
> on the car - yet think there were 4 and 20 of them) refers to grackles.
>

The blackbirds referred to in the nursery rhyme are almost certainly
European Blackbirds.  This blackbird is a thrush (Turdus merula), almost
exactly the same size and shape as the American Robin, and sharing some
calls and many behaviors.

The term "grackle" is sometimes applied by the British to starlings.  I
believe that "grackle" is also used in the vernacular names of some African
and Asian members of the starling family (Sturnidae), which comprises some
very colorful and interesting species.

Cheers,

Bob

--
Robert D Powell
Congress Farm Research Institute
Wilmington, OH, USA
[log in to unmask]
http://rdp1710.wordpress.com

Nulla dies sine aves

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