whats the real name for this Black bird

[Gary Zim]

I have a bunch of these which are emptying my bird feeders in a few minutes (I cannot believe how much food they can take, they go after the Blue Jay feed (with nuts and some dried fruit), but they empty the feeder in 10 minutes. I hear people call them crows, black birds etc. what are they really?
is there anything I can do to slow them down? Between them and the squirrels attacking my other feeder with the smaller seed, my feeders don't stay full for an hour lately.
a few weeks ago, I was attracting Cardinals, Blue Jays, Black Capped Chickadee's and Tufted Mouse tits and mourning doves... but in the past week, just these "crows" and squirrels.


Sorry to be posting an image of such a regular, common bird... but I am new hear and to birding and would like to learn. there is another type of black bird around, much smaller which I think is a Grackle.. I will post a pic of that one too.
Again sorry to be such a newb, but gotta start somewhere.


Thanks much,
Garyhttp://garyzim.smugmug.com/photos/544969950_23ET2-X3.jpg

[Gary Zim]

Here is the other, smaller black bird (the one which I thought could be a grackle?)

Garyhttp://garyzim.smugmug.com/photos/544970231_i6Ugh-X2.jpg

[Axel Hildebrandt]

#1 looks like an American Crow, #2 like a Common Grackle. Interesting, I never had a crow at my feeder.

[Gary Zim]

Thank you very much for the quick response. Last year never had a crow. Up until last week, wasnt a problem, today I saw one almost turning the feeder sideways to dump the feed. then they are all over the grass picking up. It is amazing how much and how quickly they can eat

[Richard Stern]

I agree - American Crow, and a male and female Common Grackle. However, there are other crows that look identical to the American Crow - e.g. the Fish Crow, that occurs along the coast of the S.E. US, and sounds a bit like a duck quacking, and the North-Western Crow, that lives in Washington State. B.C. etc. I would think both are unlikely to visit feeders.

We often have Crows visiting feeders here. Crows cart off and eat Grackle chicks, and Grackles in turn do the same to Robins (which are just as nasty if you're an Earthworm fan!).

Richard

[Gary Zim]

Thank you all for the info, now when my daughters ask me, I can finally tell them correctly.

Gary