‘Devil Birds’ Spotted Moving In On San Francisco’s Lake Merced Area
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) — An aggressive bird species that preys on the eggs of other birds and is known to make quite a racket has been sighted in San Francisco.
As many as six male and two female great-tailed grackles have been seen at Lake Merced.
The grackles are known to some bird experts as ‘Devil Birds.’
The birds are native to Latin America and the southern United States, but have been expanding their range.
They are found in relative abundance in urban Southern California and parts of the San Joaquin Valley.
The crow-sized birds have also been spotted in the San Francisco Bay area before although the Chronicle reports that their concentration at Lake Merced is unusually large.
Male grackles are black and can grow to 17 inches. Females are mostly brown. The birds like to gather before dawn to sing in what some describe as a shrieking tone.
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