Author Archives: xalamanderx

Cackle, cackle said the great-tailed grackle

Posted on April 26, 2011

Upon seeing a large black bird in Houston, my immediate assumption as to its species wouldn’t be a raven, or even a crow. Instead, I would immediately guess great-tailed grackle, or Quiscalus mexicanus, without even having to see it. Just … Continue reading →

Posted in grackle | Leave a comment

You can’t fool a coot…American coots employ selective conspecific brood parasitism

Posted on March 29, 2011

With a name like the coot, which sounds slightly off-color, it is not surprising that Fulica americana has several unique characteristics, a few that immediately catch peoples’ attention as well as several unique behavioral traits. The common waterfowl isn’t actually … Continue reading →

Posted in Coots | 2 Comments