A couple years ago, our cats began begging for food far earlier than their normal feeding time. It turned out they would lie beside the bowls in the morning, waiting for a group of grackles to come and eat some of the food. The cats never got up, and the grackles were never alarmed, even though they were easily within range if one of the cats were to attack. The birds would even step over outstretched paws or tails as they maneuvered around the bowl. The birds would finish and then vocalize at the cats, who would in turn "chirp" back before the birds left. The grackles also always left enough food for the cats' own servings. Certainly one of the craziest things I've seen.

Those birds are no harm to humans.

I love these birds they are some of the best to watch, very entertaining

First they chased out the locals now they want the birds gone.

Okay, so just make more noise and shine laser pointers into people's windows. That makes sense... 🙄

I love grackles! They're smart birds.

How are these people heroes

I live here in the Rio Grande Valley Texas and we have them here for sentries and we're used to it this does not bother us at all soo just leave them alone they don't harm nobody they never have

these birds are so funny, in a quirky way. I love their "chirp" though. I call them "the barking birds", because their chirp almost sounds like a barking sound to me. LOL

Lasers could blind them! Use a old school flashlight instead!

I love Grackles it's like a symbol of the Texas Rio Grande Valley...and if you are from the Valley or the Frontera you know what I mean....we respect them...we are used to them!!!

all they did is push them to the suburbs and local homes and away from the big city. People never stop surprising me on their stupidity!

Isn't that common sense to protect your nest?

I love great tailed grackles, please don't annoyed them, use grapeseed oil, I read they don't like it

Those grackles are smarter than 2/3 of Austin human residents 😂 maybe pass a law against grackles passing through...😂😂😂

I think grackles should drive away humans instead.

I feel like there should be a Netflix series on this. lol

Iridescent irrigators? Wow rude! I loved Austin for it's grackles.

I’ve been feeding them for a long time! I love them. They should just leave them alone. This is there home too!

I’m actually feeding some Rn, the babies are adorable

In 2008? We recognized this problem along our Riverwalk here in San Antonio back in the mid 1980's.

My birds always liked to chase lasers and were incredibly intelligent. It varies depending on the species. I never realized Texas had such a ridiculous issue and job that I think might just be the silliest job ever thought up.

“Anything that could cause harm to a human could cause harm to the bird” ok then stop shining lasers in their eyes and make loud noises. That hurts my ears and eyes. If you can’t use lasers on the road then don’t use them on the bird. I honestly thought he said something like this instead “anything that can’t cause harm to humans won’t cause harm to birds” I’ve got a counter argument for that too. Try makeup that causes harm to who knows what poor creature before it gets to humans

Once they've shooed them away where do they go for the rest of the day before returning?

I ain’t got a problem with those. They eat up the mosquitoes.

A group of grackles is called a plague. I saw these birds in Puerto Rico.

Since our way of life relies heavily on compartmentalization, where nothing has ANYTHING to do with anything else, let's all consider the following completely unrelated coincidences, all of which have absolutely nothing to do with each other...........

This is ridiculous. And yes I live near downtown Austin.

The Sticks scare Scare Mountain Lions also.

Why you delete to comments off the security gaurd vid 😂

They're just migrating :/

It was a nice concert.

Sheesh grackles don’t hurt anybody. Sometimes annoying is about it.

Grackle : Haters be hatin!

All this drama just from birds

Yeah in Waco Texas they over populated really bad while I was a teenager there. A woman that still lives there showed us on Facebook a couple of years ago it was still a big problem.

They look like solo strokerz, not Han, either, with their limp light sabrez! 🙃🤣😂

Grackles are cool. This is ridiculous.

The fact the people are hired to do this disqusts me.

thats great...be nice to know if anyone has tried this at their home

That horrible way to do all those innocent, birds that like feeding them to Hawks early in morning

Comedy gold

I hate those birds, google what grackles do to other birds and their babies

These birds are all from people who lost theirs life by corona.

Actually, humans are more destructive creatures. Because of humans, the extinction of many beautiful animals occurred…the Thylacine, the Passenger Pigeon, the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. These animals too were considered a nuisance and were hunted down.

We use slapsticks for crows as well. Get a lot of them during certain times of the year as they move into town from the fields to roost.

You're in the birds turf you should move

I have never met a grackle I didn't like. People invaded here after birds lived here. Can't believe the news makes them sound like a nuisance when humans have set up shop in their habitat

that reporter is cute.

Thank you for keeping our streets safe grackles

We should really start doing this with those pesky humans too. So noisy violent and annoying 🙄

I think I need to get a lazer. I got attacked this morning in Dallas by a grackle.

this is anti-grackle propaganda :< i love grackles

I use my 1000fps pellet rifle

Pellet gun solution - simple.

The birds are the least of the nuisances in Austin. The liberals and homeless are a much bigger problem and I would gladly trade them out for more Grackles.