Common Grackles in Ontario
When grackles are present in Ontario, when they nest, which native Ontario plants feed them, and how to host them in a Canadian zones 0a–7a yard.
- Status in Ontario
- Summer breeder
- Nesting window
- May–June
- Broods
- 1–2 per season
- Hardiness zones
- Canadian zones 0a–7a (southern Ontario roughly equivalent to USDA 4–6)
When to expect grackles in Ontario
Common Grackles are summer residents in Ontario, arriving shortly before nesting begins in May and leaving after the young are independent. Through the season they feed on beetles, grasshoppers and earthworms.
Humid continental in the south, boreal and subarctic in the north; most backyard birding happens in the southern Great Lakes lowlands.
Nesting in Ontario
Across Ontario, grackles typically nest from May–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.
Short, warm summers; Point Pelee and Long Point are continent-famous migration sites.
- Common Grackles don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as sugar maple, white oak, bur oak for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.
Native Ontario plants that attract grackles
Of the regional native plants we track for Ontario, these 8 provide food or cover grackles use:
Insects, seeds and cavities.
Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.
Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Leave seed heads up through winter for goldfinches.
Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.
Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows.
Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.
Feeding grackles through the Ontario 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 Ontario's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.
Frequently asked
Are grackles in Ontario year-round?
No. Common Grackles are summer breeders in Ontario and leave for the winter.
When do grackles nest in Ontario?
Nesting in Ontario typically runs May–June, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 4–6 eggs, incubated for 13–14 days.
What native plants attract grackles in Ontario?
Sugar maple, White oak, Bur oak, Wild bergamot, Purple coneflower, Black-eyed Susan, New England aster, Little bluestem are native plants in Ontario that provide food or cover for grackles.
Common Grackles in other regions
Other backyard birds in Ontario
Sources
- Common Grackle — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Common Grackle life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Common Grackle — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Ontario
- Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada — Natural Resources Canada
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas — Birds Canada
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.