Fifty Birds of Town and City
Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
There are few people in the United States who have not seen starlings, even though
the viewers might not know the label. Introduced into this country in the 1880's,
starlings took hold rapidly and became permanent residents everywhere in the Nation, plus
southern Canada and northern Mexico. They live in city parks and crevices of
buildings, using large communal roosts in winter; you can hear the tribe gathering on cold
nights along the face of many a downtown office building.
Frequently characterized as pests, starlings are certainly abundant. Their own
call is a jittery squeak, but they imitate many birds, and sunlight brings out a shimmer
of colors in their plumage. They eat almost anything, but that includes a lot of
insects like Japanese beetles. Don't scoff at starlings; they're aggressive,
quarrelsome, and determined, and they are surely here to stay.
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