This is Bird Note. Great-tailed grackles live up to their name. The glossy black males

trail their long V-shaped tails behind them as they fly, almost like a plane towing a Bannerad.

And while not quite as flashy, the brown-feathered females have impressively long tails, too.

The males settle disputes by fanning their tails. But if the feathers aren't enough to intimidate their

rival, a wrestling match ensues. Also known as the Mexican grackle, this species lives in all sorts of habitats from the northern

coasts of South America to the western U.S.

They keep their nests secure in tall trees, sometimes over 60 feet high.

Their ability to live in both cities and farmland has helped

great-tailed grackles expand as far north as Iowa. But they're still more abundant in Central

America and Southern Texas, where their cacophony of calls helps create the local soundscape.

Great-tailed grackles rattle, screech, whistle, and creak,

sounding more machine than bird at times.

And grackles are fond of gathering in flocks of thousands.

Adding all those squeaks and clicks together

creates a symphony unlike any other.

From Bird Note, I'm Michael Stein.