

If you see a Common Grackle on a cloudy day, you might dismiss it as just another black bird, but when the sun comes out, this member of the blackbird family becomes a work of art, its iridescent purple head, glossy body, and striking yellow eyes making you take a second look.
Congratulations to our 2025 Kendeigh Grant awardees! This year’s funded projects will study how blood metabolites reflect migration strategies and body condition of birds, nocturnal migratory bird use of urban habitats in Chicago, and whether noise from highways interferes with male Red-winged Blackbird provisioning for nestlings.