CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Large flocks of blackbirds have been spotted recently in Clarksville, particularly near Governor’s Square Mall, in daily swarms that darken the sky.
The swarms are part of normal migration, but it’s been accelerated by last week’s snowfall across the Southeast, according to Dr. Stefan Woltmann, director of the Austin Peay State University Center of Excellence for Field Biology.
Video by Daynnah Carmona/Clarksville Now
Why so many birds?
There are two reasons people are noticing larger flocks, Woltmann said. First is the snow itself, which makes the birds stand out and appear more numerous. Second is a change in migratory behavior due to the cold snap from earlier in this week.
“Some of the birds wintering further north where there was more snow might have moved down to our area where there was less snow. This is because less snow makes it easier for them to find their food on the ground,” he said.
People who live outside of town, especially those with bird feeders, will probably see flocks more often in their fields.
Types of birds
Woltmann said the most common species seen is the common grackle, which form large flocks as they migrate here every winter.
According to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, “The common grackle is one of the most numerous and widespread birds nesting in Tennessee, and is a locally common winter resident. Wintering flocks, sometimes with hundreds of thousands of birds, are most common in the western two-thirds of the state.”
Though grackles have been on the decline, they are not an endangered or threatened species, Woltmann said. Other small blackbird species like the red-winged blackbird, the brown-headed cowbird, and the invasive European starling may also mix with these flocks.
Woltmann said we may also see tremendous flocks of American robins flying overhead in the late afternoon or near sunset as they travel south for the winter. “This (behavior) is totally normal, and actually, the numbers that we see today would’ve been much larger 30, 40, even 50 years ago.”
Chris Smith contributed to this report.
