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Birding/Grackle Nesting Habits

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Expert: - 4/25/2007


Question
We have grackles that continuously place their nesting cleaning products around the edge of our pool.  It appears to be the baby grackle poop.  The adult will swoop down and land at the edge of the pool and spit it out.  They do this all day long all around the perimeter of the pool.  How can we stop this?

Answer
As long as the grackles are nesting nearby, you cannot stop them from cleaning the nest. It is against federal law to disturb the birds, so you must leave them alone. It may be a nuisance, but it is not dangerous or a health issue. If it were, you could contact federal wildlife officials for an answer. But it will stop shortly as soon as the young leave the nest. Roger Lederer at Ornithology.com

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Roger Lederer

Expertise

Any and all about WILD birds - the science of ornithology. Information about birdwatching, ecology, conservation, migration, behavior, banding, rehabilitation, feeding, songs, binoculars, identification, and careers in ornithology. No questions about pet or caged birds, please.

Experience

Have a PhD and over forty years as a professional ornithologist - research, teaching, author, speaker, webmaster of Ornithology.com . Have written thirty scientific papers, three bird field guides, a textbook in ecology and two recent books entitled "Amazing Birds" and "Birds of New England". Have traveled to over 90 countries watching birds.

Education/Credentials
PhD in Zoology/Ornithology; Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences; former Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at California State University, Chico

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