Question:

I have around 100 grackles in my yard. They roost in a very tall pine tree. About 40 of them today dive bombed our friendly dog after he saw an injured bird and went to look at it. I would like them to leave. I tried banging pot lids together, etc. and nothing worked.

Answer:

Banging pot lids together, though a lot of fun when you are a kid, probably won’t do too much to scare away a flock of Common Grackles!  But you may be on the right track by thinking that sounds might scare them away.  You may be able to disperse roosting grackles by playing a recording of their distress or predator calls.  Absolute Bird Control has a that might do the trick.  Other solutions you may hear about, like owl decoys, are usually less effective as eventually the birds figure out that the decoy isn’t a real threat (owls only hunt at night)