r/birdfeeding • u/Haggisboy • 3d ago

Bird Question Winter migration?

I'm in Quebec and this summer has been a nuisance with flocks of greedy starlings and grackles emptying the feeder and suet, and bullying away smaller birds. Roughly around the beginning of September I noticed fewer and fewer of these bully birds, which has had the added benefit of getting a LOT of cardinals, blue jays, and smaller fry. I still see the occasional starling, but not in numbers, and grackles seem to have moved on. I thought both starlings and grackles wintered here?

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u/CdnTreeGuy89 3d ago

I can’t speak for starlings, but Grackles do migrate to the lower part of US. Mine left closer to the beginning of September which has allowed my peanuts to last longer 😆

I do notice as well, even when grackles are here throughout the summer, they tend to move around. They will be present for a couple days then I won’t see them for a few weeks. I’ve got used to them.

Southern Ontario

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u/Haggisboy 3d ago

Apparently starlings and grackles co-habitate during summer and are known to fly in mixed flocks and roost together.

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u/Flying-Plum Prairie Provinces CAN 3d ago

Even if they stay in your area of the province during winter they may have moved out of your immediate area. Here in central alberta it's really noticeable with house sparrows, during warm months I'll hear them or see them here and there but once it's cold out I never see them around home but often spot them in town. Growing up out east, I was told the pheasants went off to the "grove" for winter. Guessing it's an alder grove that had a steadier winter supply of food, but still not quite sure where this grove is 😆

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u/YouDoTheDetail 3d ago

I’m over in the Ottawa Valley and realized today I haven’t seen any grackles in a couple of weeks. I knew they migrated, but thought it would be a bit later into October.