Georgia · Year-round resident

Common Grackles in Georgia

When grackles are present in Georgia, when they nest, which native Georgia plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 7a–9a yard.

Blackbirds (Icteridae)Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula

Status in Georgia: Year-round resident
Nesting window: March–June
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 7a–9a

When to expect grackles in Georgia

Common Grackles live in Georgia all year. Mild winters bring irregular purple finch and pine-siskin irruptions from the north. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward waste grain and acorns.

Humid subtropical, with cooler mountains in the north and a warm coastal plain in the south.

Nesting in Georgia

Across Georgia, grackles typically nest from March–June. Nest site: bulky cup in dense conifers, often in loose colonies. Females lay 4–6 eggs, incubate for 13–14 days, and young leave the nest after 12–15 days.

Hot, humid summers; bluebirds can raise three broods but boxes in full sun overheat.

Common Grackles don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as white oak, sugar maple, red maple for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.

Native Georgia plants that attract grackles

Of the regional native plants we track for Georgia, these 8 provide food or cover grackles use:

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Supports hundreds of caterpillar species used to feed nestlings.

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta · Perennial

Seed heads in fall.

Wild bergamot

Monarda fistulosa · Perennial

Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.

Purple coneflower

Echinacea purpurea · Perennial

Leave seed heads up through winter for goldfinches.

Little bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium · Perennial

Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.

Tall goldenrod

Solidago altissima · Perennial

Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.

Sugar maple

Acer saccharum · Tree

Hosts hundreds of caterpillar species; spring flowers draw early insects.

Red maple

Acer rubrum · Tree

Among the first spring bloomers; early insects for returning migrants.

Feeding grackles through the Georgia year

Grackles arrive in flocks and can dominate open feeders; weight-activated and caged feeders help keep smaller birds fed.

Best foods: Cracked corn, Sunflower.
In Georgia's winter: Mild winters bring irregular purple finch and pine-siskin irruptions from the north.

Full diet breakdown for grackles · Best feeder for grackles

Frequently asked

Are grackles in Georgia year-round?

Yes. Common Grackles are year-round residents in Georgia.

When do grackles nest in Georgia?

Nesting in Georgia typically runs March–June, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 4–6 eggs, incubated for 13–14 days.

What native plants attract grackles in Georgia?

White oak, Black-eyed Susan, Wild bergamot, Purple coneflower, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, Sugar maple, Red maple are native plants in Georgia that provide food or cover for grackles.

Other backyard birds in Georgia

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Brown Creeper Red-winged Blackbird Orchard Oriole Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Painted Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird House Sparrow European Starling Rufous Hummingbird White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Eurasian Collared-Dove

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.